Enhancing green propylene production from bioisopropanol under microwave irradiation

Dehydration of bio-isopropanol under microwave heating at low temperatures typically involves an undesirable side reaction - dehydrogenation. The produced hydrogen decreases propylene selectivity and partially reduces Co₃O₄ catalyst activity. This study proposes a novel strategy to suppress hydrogen formation by introducing acetone into the reaction system, exploiting Le Chatelier's principle. Experimental results confirm that acetone addition significantly enhanced the selectivity toward green propylene from 93.7% to 99.7%. Furthermore, the temperature required for 90% conversion decreases markedly from 120 to 96 ., under microwave heating. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of applying Le Chatelier's principle to suppress side reactions, thereby improving the selectivity and efficiency of green propylene production at lower temperatures.