| abstract |
Toluene dehydrocoupled products are produced by heating toluene in the vapor phase with an inorganic metal/oxygen composition which functions as an oxygen carrier and has the empirical formula:n where M is bismuth and M 2 is at least one element selected from indium, silver, Group 2a of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and mixtures thereof, and wherein a is 1, b is 0.01 to 100, and x is a number taken to satisfy the average valences of M 1 and M 2 in the oxidation states in which they exist in the composition. Alternatively, the same inorganic metal/oxygen composition can be employed as a catalyst or as a combination catalyst/oxygen carrier for the dehydrocoupling reaction when oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas is heated with the toluene. |