Selective dehydrosulfurization of 3-mercaptopropionic acid to acrylic acid on silicalite catalyst

Dehydrosulfurization of 3-mercaptopropionic acid has been investigated in a fixed bed reactor using a silicalite catalyst in order to recover the hydrocarbon core. Under reductive conditions, acrylic acid was formed in high yield at 350 °C and atmospheric pressure as the desired product along the toxic H2S, whereas, carrying out the reaction in the presence of air, safer dihydrogenpolysulfides resulted as the co-product.