Abstract: Inorganic catalysts of metavanadate, molybdate, and tungstate, organic catalysts of orthovanadates, and organic catalysts of siliconous orthov anadates are all able to catalyze the isomerization of nerolidol. Ammonium metavanadate, triisobutyl orthovanadate and triphenylsiliconic orthovanadate have superior catalytical effects among these three kinds of catalysts. The yield of farnesol in the isomerized mixture from nerolidol is 37.1%, 37.2% and 32.0% respectively, by catalysis of ammonium metavanadate, triisobutyl orthovanadate and triphenylsiliconic orthovanadate respectively. Thereafter, several multiple x catalysts are prepared and tested for the isomerization based on the selected cata lysts, namely ammonium metavanadate, triisobutyl orthovanadate and triphenylsiliconic orthovanadate. However, multiplex catalysts could not raise catalytic effect of isomerization as remarkably as predicted.

Key words: nerolidol, farnesol, multiplex catalyst