H-SAPO-18催化甲醇制烯烃反应机理:第一性原理计算研究

摘要

The reaction mechanism of zeolite- or zeotype-catalyzed methanol-to-olefins (MTO) conversion is still a subject of debate. Employing periodic density functional theory calculations, the olefin-based cycle was studied using tetramethylethene (TME) as a representative olefinic hydrocarbon pool in H-SAPO-18 zeotype. The overall free energy barrier at 673 K was calculated and found to be less than 150 kJ/mol in the TME-based cycle, much lower than those in the aromatic-based cycle (> 200 kJ/mol), indicating that olefins themselves are the dominant active hydrocarbon pool species in H-SAPO-18. The similarity of the intermediates involved between the aromatic-based cycle and the olefin-based cycle was also highlighted, revealing that both cycles were pattern-consistent. The selectivity related to the distribution of cracking precursors, such as higher olefins or carbenium ions, as a result of the olefin-based cycle for the MTO conversion. The enthalpy barrier of the crack-ing step scaled linearly with the number of carbon atoms of cracking precursors to produce ethene or propene with ethene being much less favored than propene for cracking of C7 and higher pre-cursors. This work highlighted the importance of the olefin-based cycle in H-SAPO-18 for the MTO conversion and established the similarity between the olefin-based and aromatic-based cycles.%低碳烯烃(乙烯、丙烯等)是重要的基本有机原料, 一般通过蒸汽裂解或催化裂解生成得到.基于中国的资源结构特点, 发展非石油资源路线合成低碳烯烃具有重要的战略意义. 其中从煤、天然气等资源出发, 通过甲醇合成低碳烯烃就提供了这样一条可替代的路线. 因此分子筛催化甲醇制烯烃(MTO)反应在过去几十年获得了广泛的关注和研究. 为了获得高的产物选择性, 一般要求MTO分子筛催化材料具有较小的孔道结构以及合适的笼结构, H-SAPO-34和H-SAPO-18分子筛就具有这样的空间结构特点. 但是MTO催化反应产物分布多样复杂, 因此需要深入认识MTO催化反应机理, 从而优化设计分子筛结构和反应条件.目前已经形成的共识认为, MTO催化反应沿着烃池反应机理进行, 但是烃池活性中心的结构还存在很多争议. 我们曾系统研究了H-SAPO-18分子筛中多甲基苯的分布, 以及催化MTO反应的芳烃循环路线, 指出多甲基苯路线的总吉布斯自由能垒高于200 kJ/mol (673 K). 本文以四甲基乙烯(TME)作为代表性的烯烃烃池活性中心, 系统研究了H-SAPO-18分子筛催化MTO反应的烯烃循环路线. TME循环路线的总吉布斯自由能垒不大于150 kJ/mol, 远小于芳烃循环的总能垒. 因此, 烯烃本身有很大可能是H-SAPO-18催化MTO反应的烃池活性中心. 我们也指出了芳烃循环和烯烃循环路线的相似性, 这包括基元反应的相似性和中间体结构的相似性. 或者可以说, 芳烃循环和烯烃循环路线机理上没有区别, 关键是为了得到具有烷基(侧)链的裂解前驱体, 最后通过裂解生成低碳烯烃. 在烯烃循环路线中, 产物选择性与裂解前驱体(高碳烯烃、碳正离子等)的分布以及裂解动力学有关. 计算发现生成乙烯和丙烯的裂解基元反应能垒与裂解前驱体的碳数之间存在线性关系. 本文进一步强调了分子筛催化MTO反应中烯烃活性中心的重要性, 并且清楚指出了烯烃循环和芳烃循环的机理相似性.