Kindra Becker-Redd '21

Major: Chemistry
Bio: Kindra Becker-Redd is a librarian at Quinn Library on the Lincoln Center campus at Fordham University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature as well as a Master of Library and Information Services from the University of South Carolina. She is interested in pursuing advanced coursework in chemistry.

Title of Research: Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Picolinic Acid by Gas Phase Catalytic Oxidation of 2-Pyridinecarboxaldehyde and 2-Picoline using air as an oxidizing agent
Mentor: Dr. Yevgeniya Alkayeva
Abstract: Picolinic acid is a valuable product biologically and in numerous industries. Picolinic acid is currently produced through liquid phase oxidation by using strong oxidizing agents, creating non-environmentally green wastes. To produce the acid successfully by gas phase oxidation, using air as the oxidizing agent on the surface of a solid catalyst, would be both a greener and cheaper method overall. Other researchers have attempted gas phase oxidation in conventional oven but no acid was observed. Instead, byproducts such as pyridine, CO2 , and pyridoin were found. Our method employed a microwave oven with a specially designed reactor as well as nanostructured V-Ti and V-Mo-Ti oxide catalysts that feature high surface areas. The catalyst temperature is lower on the surface and higher inside of the catalyst particles making lattice oxygen more mobile and available for reaction. This combination is conducive for selective oxidation of 2-picoline to 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde as intermediate and consecutive oxidation of 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde to picolinic acid. The volume of the catalyst in the reactor is limited by the size of laboratory microwave oven. The next step of our investigation is to study the kinetics of the reaction to raise the rates of 2-picoline and 2-pyridinecarboxbaldehyde conversion to picolinic acid.