Synthesis, characterization and catalytic application of mesoporous sulfated zirconia

摘要

Mesoporous sulfated zirconia with high surface area was prepared by various surfactant-assisted methods. The organic-zirconia mesophase composite was synthesized using the interaction between the positive-charged surfactant molecule and zirconium sulfate, but a structural collapse resulted from the calcination at 550℃. The as-synthesized composite was then treated with sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid before calcination. The calcined samples were also post-treated with sulfuric acid again by ion exchange or impregnation method in order to develop sulfated zirconia with high surface area. In addition, we have synthesized mesoporous zirconia following the synthetic method of MSU-4 and also prepared the mesoporous sulfated zirconia by reflux method without using the surfactant. The prepared catalysts were applied to the alkylation of isobutane with 1-butene to produce highly branched paraffins and their catalytic activity was compared with those of the conventional sulfated zirconia catalysts.