α-Hexyl cinnamaldehyde is found naturally in the essential oil of chamomile. It is an aroma substance and a common additive in perfume and cosmetic industry. Traditionally it is manufactured from the reaction of benzaldehyde and n-octanal in presence of alkali metal hydroxide as a catalyst.
Limitations of the existing process:
- Corrosive nature of strong base
- Separation difficulties
- Environmental challenges
Advantages of the catalytic process:
- Solvent free condition
- Low catalyst loading
- Heterogeneous system
The process for preparation of -hexyl cinnamaldehyde involves catalytic cross aldol condensation between benzaldehyde and 1-octanal using a soft solid base catalyst, hydrotalcite
- Good conversion (>99%) and selectivity (95-98%) are achievable using heterogeneous catalyst.
- Solvent free reaction condition
- Organic or inorganic bases are not required for the preparation in the present process
- Shorter reaction time that makes the process industrially attractive
- Catalyst can be recovered by simple filtration after completion of reaction and effectively recycled several times (tested more than ten cycles) without any significant loss in activity and selectivity
Scaled at 200 g with 99% conversion and >95% selectivity
Being a perfumery chemical, -hexyl cinnamaldehyde has potential market scope; One of the important perfumery chemicals used in Indian industry which is currently to a large extent imported from China
The process for -hexyl cinnamaldehyde works in solvent-free condition making the process environmentally benign; Uses heterogeneous solid catalyst; no aqueous effluent generation
Benzaldehyde, n-octanal and hydrotalcite
Reactor size depending upon plant capacity, distillation unit
Techno-economically attractive as the product cost is roughly twice that of raw materials cost
Process know-how for -hexyl cinnamaldehyde; Demonstration of the process at 500 g scale; License fee, royalty and other financial details are available on request.
