Vapor-phase Beckmann rearrangement of oxime molecules over H-Faujasite zeolite.

The Beckmann rearrangement (BR) plays an important role in a variety of industries. The mechanism of this reaction rearrangement of oximes with different molecular sizes, specifically, the oximes of formaldehyde (H(2)C=NOH), Z-acetaldehyde (CH(3)HC=NOH), E-acetaldehyde (CH(3)HC=NOH) and acetone (CH(3))(2)C=NOH, catalyzed by the Faujasite zeolite is investigated by both the quantum cluster and embedded cluster approaches at the B3LYP level of theory using the 6-31G (d,p) basis set. To enhance the energetic properties, single point calculations are undertaken at MP2/6-311G(d,p). The rearrangement step, using the bare cluster model, is the rate determining step of the entire reaction of these oxime molecules of which the energy barrier is between 50-70 kcal mol(-1). The more accurate embedded cluster model, in which the effect of the zeolitic framework is included, yields as the rate determining step, the formaldehyde oxime reaction rearrangement with an energy barrier of 50.4 kcal mol(-1). With the inclusion of the methyl substitution at the carbon-end of formaldehyde oxime, the rate determining step of the reaction becomes the 1,2 H-shift step for Z-acetaldehyde oxime (30.5 kcal mol(-1)) and acetone oxime (31.2 kcal mol(-1)), while, in the E-acetaldehyde oxime, the rate determining step is either the 1,2 H-shift (26.2 kcal mol(-1)) or the rearrangement step (26.6 kcal mol(-1)). These results signify the important role that the effect of the zeolite framework plays in lowering the activation energy by stabilizing all of the ionic species in the process. It should, however, be noted that the sizeable turnover of a reaction catalyzed by the Brønsted acid site might be delayed by the quantitatively high desorption energy of the product and readsorption of the reactant at the active center.