Catalysis of the Kemp Elimination by Natural Coals

Commercially available coals were found to be efficient heterogeneous catalysts of the Kemp elimination reaction in aqueous solutions. A pH-rate profile study suggests that catalysis originates from specific catalytic groups and not simply from the large graphitic surface area. The low-quality lignite coals, which exhibit similar catalytic efficiency per weight to that of molecularly imprinted polymers, are better catalysts for this reaction in comparison with the bituminous coals.