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High-efficiency toluene alkylation with tert-butyl alcohol catalyzed by Ce2O3-modified H-beta zeolites

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Abstract

A series of xCe2O3/H-beta catalysts with different Ce2O3 loadings were prepared and the catalytic performances were investigated through toluene butylation as the probe reaction. The xCe2O3/H-beta catalysts showed high para-selectivity due to their improved structural and acidic properties, which were confirmed by XRD, SEM, ICP-OES, BET, Py-IR and TG. Compared with the parent H-beta zeolite, the xCe2O3/H-beta catalysts showed slightly lower toluene conversion and significantly higher para-tert-butyl toluene (PTBT) selectivity. Loading of Ce2O3 firstly narrowed the pore size of H-beta zeolite, which benefited the shape-selectivity, and secondly increased the PTBT selectivity by suppressing the isomerization on acid sites of outer surface of the catalysts. Under comparable conditions, the 5%Ce2O3/H-beta exhibited the maximum PTBT selectivity (82.7%) at 180 °C after 4 h. The optimum reaction conditions over xCe2O3/H-beta zeolites were molar ratio of tert-butyl alcohol to toluene = 3:1, reaction temperature = 180 °C, and reaction time = 4 h.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (QC2017005), the Youth Fund of Northeast Petroleum University (2018QNL-26). We are also grateful for the measurement assistants from Analysis & Testing Center of Northeast Petroleum University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Northeastern Petroleum University, Daqing, 163318, Heilongjiang, China

    Yuanyuan Wang, Yixian Han, Jiaojing Zhang, Xueqin Wang, Hua Song & Xi Chen

  2. Daqing Petrochemical Engineering Co., Ltd., Daqing, 163714, Heilongjiang, China

    Xinglong Sun

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  1. Yuanyuan Wang
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  2. Xinglong Sun
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  3. Yixian Han
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Correspondence to Hua Song.

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Wang, Y., Sun, X., Han, Y. et al. High-efficiency toluene alkylation with tert-butyl alcohol catalyzed by Ce2O3-modified H-beta zeolites. Chemistry Africa 2, 39–45 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-018-0029-1

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