A sustainable route to ketones is described where stearone is produced via ketonic decarboxylation of stearic acid mediated by solid base catalysts in yields of up to 97%, at 250 °C. A range of Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) and mixed metal oxide (MMO) solid base catalysts were prepared with Mg/Al ratios of between 2 and 6 via two synthetic routes, co-precipitation and co-hydration, with each material tested for their catalytic performance. For a given Mg/Al ratio, the LDH and MMO materials showed similar reactivity, with no correlation to the method of preparation. The presence of co-produced oxide phases in the co-hydration catalysts had negligible impact on reactivity.

Transforming waste materials into added-value products is critical for a sustainable and circular economy. Here, Mg/Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials, with a Mg2+:Fe3+ ratio of 2, were successfully synthesized via the co-precipitation method from a dissolved acid mine drainage precipitate waste “ochre”, which is normally put to landfill. The prepared LDH materials were tested as a heterogeneous base catalyst to promote the production of the ketone, 12-tricosanone, from lauric acid, a component of plant oils, through a ketonic decarboxylation reaction, giving a circular economy route to catalysts for sustainable ketone production. The highest yield of the ketone observed was 80%.

Ketonic decarboxylation has gained significant attention in recent years as a pathway to reduce the oxygen content within biomass-derived oils, and to produce sustainable ketones.