Method and catalyst for producing benzyl alcohol and homologues thereof from short-chain alcohols by catalytic conversion

A method for producing benzyl alcohol and homologues thereof from short-chain alcohols by catalytic conversion, comprising the following steps:

• (1) preparing transition metals aqueous solution and/or transition metals alcohol solution;
• (2) using an incipient wetness impregnation method to impregnate hydroxyl phosphates using the transition metals aqueous solution and/or transition metals alcohol solution prepared in the step (1);
• after impregnation, stayed at room temperature for 0.5-2 h;
• (3) placing the obtained mixture from the step (2) into a 100° C. oven for drying for 8-20 h;
• (4) conducting oxidation on the dried product in the step (3) at 250-550° C. for 1 to 5 h in an air atmosphere, and then treating under hydrogen atmosphere at 325-700° C. for 0.5-2 h to obtain transition metal-hydroxyl phosphate catalysts;
• wherein the transition metal-hydroxyl phosphate catalysts comprise two parts:
• transition metals and hydroxyl phosphate;
• loading of the transition metals is 0.01-50 wt % of the weight of the hydroxyl phosphate;
• the transition metals are one or a combination of more than one of Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Ir, Zn and Y;
• the hydroxyl phosphate is AxByCzDmEn(OH)2(PO4)6;
• in the formula, x+y+z+m+n=9-10, 9-10≥x,y,z,m,n≥0, wherein A, B, C, D and E are the same or different and are selected from one or a combination of more than one of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Pb;
• (5) at reaction temperature of 150-450° C. and reaction pressure of 1-50 atm, introducing mixture of ethanol and methanol or mixture of ethanol and propanol into a reactor packed with transition metal-hydroxyl phosphate catalysts to produce benzyl alcohol or ethyl benzyl alcohol by one-pot through a designed coupling-aromatization reaction.