Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Chemistry
Date of Award
12-2020
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Aleksey Vasiliev
Committee Members
Hua Mei, Ismail Kady
Abstract
Linear alkylbenzenes (LAB) are key intermediates in the synthesis of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants that are used in the manufacture of detergents. Production of LAB with traditional Lewis acids as catalysts, such as hydrofluoric acid, results in the formation of large amounts of toxic wastes and corrosion of industrial equipment. Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) has gained much attention in recent years as a solid catalyst for various alkylation reactions. This research work aims to develop a novel material based on PTA-containing silica gel, which can effectively catalyze LAB synthesis. Sol-gel synthesis of silica gel in the presence of PTA and tetraethyl orthosilicate as precursors produced a mesoporous aterial containing covalently embedded PTA clusters. Obtained superacidic catalyst demonstrated high catalytic activity in liquid-phase alkylation of benzene by various alkenes. Covalent embedding of catalytically active HPA clusters prevents their leaching from the catalyst surface, which enabled its excellent catalytic properties.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Kankam, Kofi, "Alkylation of Benzene on Immobilized Phosphotungstic Acid" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3847. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3847
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.