Patent ID: 7700811

Claim:
A process for making a reaction product comprising 1-butanol, comprising: contacting a reactant comprising ethanol with a catalyst at a reaction temperature and pressure sufficient to produce said reaction product, wherein said catalyst is derived from a hydrotalcite of the formula: [[( M 2+ 1−x M 3+ x (OH) 2 )(A n− x/n )]• y H 2 O][ M′A′] z wherein M 2+ is divalent Mg, or a combination of Mg and at least one divalent member selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ni, Pd, Pt, Co, Fe, and Cu; M 3+ is trivalent Al, or a combination of trivalent Al and at least one trivalent member selected from the group consisting of Fe and Cr; x is 0.66 to 0.1; A n− is CO 3 2− with n=2, or OH − with n=1; M′A′ is a carbonate of at least one divalent metal M′ selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ni, Pd, Pt, Co, Fe, and Cu; and A′ is carbonate; z is any number between 0.001 and 0.5 inclusive; and y is 0 to 4, wherein the hydrotalcite catalyst is partially decomposed.