Oxidative dehydrogenation–esterification of iso‐butyric acid over hydrothermally synthesized iron phosphate‐silica catalyst

Abstract In this study, iron phosphate supported on silica (FePO 4 /SiO 2 ) catalysts were synthesized using the ammonia gel and hydrothermal (HT) methods. The research focuses on the one‐step production of methyl methacrylate (MMA) via the oxidative dehydrogenation–esterification of iso‐butyric acid (IBA) with methanol in the presence of air. The catalytic performance was evaluated in a high‐pressure batch reactor, and the influence of various reaction parameters on IBA conversion and MMA selectivity was systematically investigated. Under optimized conditions (350°C, 12 h, methanol‐to‐IBA molar ratio of 5, 30% FePO 4 /SiO 2 HT, 20% catalyst loading, and 30 bar), a maximum IBA conversion of 74.2% and an MMA selectivity of 15.1% were achieved. The catalyst was characterized using various analytical techniques to understand its structural and textural properties. Additionally, a reusability study demonstrated that the catalyst remains effective for up to four cycles, maintaining its catalytic performance. The study demonstrates that hydrothermally synthesized FePO 4 /SiO 2 catalysts provide a promising route for the selective one‐step synthesis of MMA from IBA.