Breakthrough Discovery of a Nano-Structured Yttrium Oxychloride Catalyst for the Selective Dehydration of Phenol

The serendipitous discovery of a nano-structured yttrium oxychloride catalyst for the high-temperature, highly-selective dehydration of phenol to diphenyl oxide and the characterization of this unique structure will be presented.  An alternative catalyst for diphenyl oxide production will enable the future growth of heat transfer fluids for concentrated solar power applications.