First principles, microkinetic, and experimental analysis of Lewis acid site speciation during ethanol dehydration on Sn-Beta zeolites

Impact of Sn Lewis Acid Sites on the Dehydration of Cyclohexanol

The impact of Sn on the concentration and strength of acid sites in Al containing zeolites with MFI topology and their catalytic activity for the dehydration of cyclohexanol in the aqueous phase has been investigated. The materials maintain constant Al concentrations and consequently Bro̷nsted acid site (BAS) concentrations, while exhibiting an increasing concentration of Sn Lewis acid sites (LAS). The presence of water alters LAS(Sn), leading to weak BAS(Sn) that increases the concentration of water in the zeolite micropore, while leaving the rate of dehydration of cyclohexanol unchanged. The TOF increases with the concentration of BAS(Al) in close contact with framework LAS(Sn), referred to as BAS(Pair). The increase in the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor, without affecting the activation barrier (E a), leads to the hypothesis that the proximity of both sites allows for a later transition state induced by the polarization of the C-O bond, leading in turn to a higher transition entropy.

Insight into modified CeMn based catalysts for efficient degradation of toluene by in situ infrared

Trace activated carbon (AC) and diatomaceous earth (DE) were used as structural promoters to be incorporated into Ce-Mn-based solid-solution catalysts by the redox precipitation method. The modified catalysts exhibit superior reducibility, with abundant Ce3+, Mn3+and reactive oxygen species, which are facilitated to the migration of oxygen and the generation of oxygen vacancies. In particular, the catalytic combustion temperatures of 90 % toluene (3000 ppm) on Ce1Mn3Ox-AC/DE were 84 °C (dry) and 123 °C (10 vol% H2O), respectively. The role of lattice oxygen and adsorbed oxygen was revealed by in situ DRIFTS. Additionally, in situ DRIFTS was employed to verify that the degradation of toluene by Ce1Mn3Ox-AC/DE satisfied the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism and the Mars-Van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism. The possible reaction pathway was elucidated (toluene → benzyl alcohol → benzoic acid → maleic anhydride → CO2 + H2O). Furthermore, final products attributed to toluene oxidation were detected by in situ DRIFTS at 50 °C in the absence of oxygen, confirming that the catalyst possessed outstanding performance at low temperatures beyond mere adsorption.

Transition-state correlations for predicting thermochemistry of adsorbates and surface reactions

Estimating thermochemical properties from linear correlations may provide a pathway to circumvent expensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations for quantities such as pre-exponentials and temperature corrections to DFT energies. Here, we construct thermochemical scaling relations between C₁-C₆n-alkanes in the gas phase and adsorbed alkyl chains extending from several transition metal surfaces, and examine changes in the slope and fit between metals and adsorption sites. We subsequently add -OH, -NH₂, CO, and CC functional groups to the C₁-C₆ molecules and demonstrate strong linear correlations for thermochemistry across all species. We broaden the correlations to incorporate transition states of C₁-C₆n-alkane dehydrogenation reactions, where thermochemistry for computationally prohibitive transition-state calculations can be quickly assessed. Additionally, we rationalize the linearity of thermochemical correlations based on the composition of the homologous series and theoretical assessments. As an application of the correlations, we estimate pre-exponentials for elementary surface reactions of ethane and propane hydrogenolysis on Ru(0001), which is of relevance to plastic hydrogenolysis. Depending on kinetically important steps, entropic contributions may be necessary to include in certain reaction mechanisms; in contrasting examples, entropies are found to be relatively insignificant for ethane hydrogenolysis but pertinent for propane hydrogenolysis.

The Al-Containing Silicates Modified with Organic Ligands and SnO2 Nanoparticles for Catalytic Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation and Aerobic Carboxylation of Carbonyl Compounds

The Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation (BVO) of ketones and aldehydes produce lactones and formates, while aerobic carboxylation of aldehydes manufactures carboxylic acids, both having high added value. This work prepared a series of Al-containing silicates modified with organic ligands and SnO2 nanoparticles, which were then employed as catalyst in BVO and carboxylation. Characterizations revealed the morphology of the synthesized catalyst was changed from micron-sized thin sheets to smaller blocks, and then to uniform nanoparticles (size of 50 nm) having the doped SnO2 nanoparticles with a size of 29 nm. All catalysts showed high BET surface areas featuring silt-like mesopores. In determining the priority of BVO and carboxylation, an influence evaluation of the parameters showed the order to be substrate > oxidant > solvent > catalyst. Cyclic aliphatic ketones were suitable for BVO, but linear aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes for carboxylation. Coordination of (S)-binaphthol or doping of Sn into catalyst showed little influence on BVO under m-CPBA, but the Sn-doped catalyst largely increased BVO under (NH4)2S2O8 and H2O2. Calculations revealed that the catalyst containing both Al and Sn could give BVO intermediates lower energies than the Sn-beta zeolite model. The present system exhibited merits including wider substrate scope, innocuous catalytic metal, greener oxidant, as well as lower catalyst cost.

Quantifying Effects of Active Site Proximity on Rates of Methanol Dehydration to Dimethyl Ether over Chabazite Zeolites through Microkinetic Modeling

Control of the spatial proximity of Brønsted acid sites within the zeolite framework can result in materials with properties that are distinct from materials synthesized through conventional crystallization methods or available from commercial sources. Recent experimental evidence has shown that turnover rates of different acid-catalyzed reactions increase with the fraction of proximal sites in chabazite (CHA) zeolites. The catalytic conversion of oxygenates is an important research area, and the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether (DME) is a well-studied reaction as part of methanol-to-olefin chemistry catalyzed by solid acids. Published experimental data have shown that DME formation rates (per acid site) increase systematically with the fraction of proximal acid sites in the six-membered ring of CHA. Here, we probe the effect of acid site proximity in CHA on methanol dehydration rates using electronic structure calculations and microkinetic modeling to identify the primary causes of this chemistry and their relationship to the local structure of the catalyst at the nanoscale. We report a density functional theory-parametrized microkinetic model of methanol dehydration to DME, catalyzed by acidic CHA zeolite with direct comparison to experimental data. Effects of proximal acid sites on reaction rates were captured quantitatively for a range of operating conditions and catalyst compositions, with a focus on total paired acid site concentration and reactant clustering to form higher nuclearity complexes. Next-nearest neighbor paired acid sites were identified as promoting the formation of methanol trimer clusters rather than the inhibiting tetramer or pentamer clusters, resulting in large increases in the rate for DME production due to the lower energy barriers present in the concerted methanol trimer reaction pathway. The model framework developed in this study can be extended to other zeolite materials and reaction chemistries toward the goal of rational design and development of next-generation catalytic materials and chemical processes.

Adsorption and dehydration of ethanol on isomorphously B, Al, and Ga substituted H-ZSM-5 zeolite: an embedded ONIOM study

Dehydration reactions are important in the petroleum and petrochemical industries, especially for the feedstock production. In this work, the catalytic activity of zeolites with different acidities for the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene and diethylether is investigated by density functional calculations on cluster models of three isomorphous B, Al, and Ga substituted H-ZSM-5 zeolites. Both unimolecular and bimolecular mechanisms are investigated. Detailed reaction profiles for the dehydration reaction, assuming either a stepwise or a concerted mechanism, were calculated by using the ONIOM(MP2:M06-2X) + SCREEP method. The adsorption energies of ethanol are -21.6, -28.1, and -27.7 kcal mol^-1 on H-[B]-ZSM-5, H-[Al]-ZSM-5, and H-[Ga]-ZSM-5 zeolites, respectively. The activation energies for the rate-determining step of the unimolecular concerted mechanism for the ethylene formation are 48.5, 42.6, and 43.6 kcal mol^-1 on H-[B]-ZSM-5, H-[Al]-ZSM-5, and H-[Ga]-ZSM-5 zeolites, respectively. The activation energies for the ethoxy formation as the rate-determining step for the bimolecular formation of diethylether are 42.3, 40.0, and 41.1 kcal mol^-1 on H-[B]-ZSM-5, H-[Al]-ZSM-5, and H-[Ga]-ZSM-5 zeolites, respectively. The results indicate that the catalytic activities for the dehydration of ethanol decrease in the order H-[Al]-ZSM-5 ~ H-[Ga]-ZSM-5 > H-[B]-ZSM-5. Besides the acid strength, the zeolite framework affects the reaction by stabilizing the reaction intermediates, leading to more stable adsorption complexes and lower activation barriers.

Influence of solvent structure and hydrogen bonding on catalysis at solid-liquid interfaces

Solvent molecules interact with reactive species and alter the rates and selectivities of catalytic reactions by orders of magnitude. Specifically, solvent molecules can modify the free energies of liquid phase and surface species via solvation, participating directly as a reactant or co-catalyst, or competitively binding to active sites. These effects carry consequences for reactions relevant for the conversion of renewable or recyclable feedstocks, the development of distributed chemical manufacturing, and the utilization of renewable energy to drive chemical reactions. First, we describe the quantitative impact of these effects on steady-state catalytic turnover rates through a rate expression derived for a generic catalytic reaction (A → B), which illustrates the functional dependence of rates on each category of solvent interaction. Second, we connect these concepts to recent investigations of the effects of solvents on catalysis to show how interactions between solvent and reactant molecules at solid-liquid interfaces influence catalytic reactions. This discussion demonstrates that the design of effective liquid phase catalytic processes benefits from a clear understanding of these intermolecular interactions and their implications for rates and selectivities.

Zeolite (In)Stability under Aqueous or Steaming Conditions

Zeolites are among the most environmentally friendly materials produced industrially at the Megaton scale. They find numerous commercial applications, particularly in catalysis, adsorption, and separation. Under ambient conditions aluminosilicate zeolites are stable when exposed to water or water vapor. However, at extreme conditions as high temperature, high water vapor pressure or increased acidity/basicity, their crystalline framework can be destroyed. The stability of the zeolite framework under aqueous conditions also depends on the concentration and character of heteroatoms (other than Al) and the topology of the zeolite. The factors critical for zeolite (in)stability in the presence of water under various conditions are reviewed from the experimental as well as computational sides. Nonreactive and reactive interactions of water with zeolites are addressed. The goal of this review is to provide a comparative overview of all-silica zeolites, aluminosilicates and zeolites with other heteroatoms (Ti, Sn, and Ge) when contacted with water. Due attention is also devoted to the situation when partial zeolite hydrolysis is used beneficially, such as the formation of hierarchical zeolites, synthesis of new zeolites or fine-tuning catalytic or adsorption characteristics of zeolites.

Ordered Hydrogen-Bonded Alcohol Networks Confined in Lewis Acid Zeolites Accelerate Transfer Hydrogenation Turnover Rates

The disruption of ordered water molecules confined within hydrophobic reaction pockets alters the energetics of adsorption and catalysis, but a mechanistic understanding of how nonaqueous solvents influence catalysis in microporous voids remains unclear. Here, we use kinetic analyses coupled with IR spectroscopy to study how alkanol hydrogen-bonding networks confined within hydrophobic and hydrophilic zeolite catalysts modify reaction free energy landscapes. Hydrophobic Beta zeolites containing framework Sn atoms catalyze the transfer hydrogenation reaction of cyclohexanone in a 2-butanol solvent 10× faster than their hydrophilic analogues. This rate enhancement stems from the ability of hydrophobic Sn-Beta to inhibit the formation of extended liquid-like 2-butanol oligomers and promote dimeric H-bonded 2-butanol networks. These different intraporous 2-butanol solvent structures manifest as differences in the activation and adsorption enthalpies and entropies that comprise the free energy landscape of transfer hydrogenation catalysis. The ordered H-bonding solvent network present in hydrophobic Sn-Beta stabilizes the transfer hydrogenation transition state to a greater extent than the liquid-like 2-butanol solvent present in hydrophilic Sn-Beta, giving rise to higher turnover rates on hydrophobic Sn-Beta. Additionally, reactant adsorption within hydrophobic Sn-Beta is driven by the breakup of intraporous solvent-solvent interactions, resulting in positive enthalpies of adsorption that are partially compensated by an increase in the solvent reorganization entropy. Collectively, these results emphasize the ability of the zeolite pore to regulate the structure of confined nonaqueous H-bonding solvent networks, which offers an additional dimension to modulate adsorption and reactivity.

Structure and solvation of confined water and water-ethanol clusters within microporous Brønsted acids and their effects on ethanol dehydration catalysis

Water networks confined within zeolites solvate clustered reactive intermediates and must rearrange to accommodate transition states that differ in size and polarity, with thermodynamic penalties that depend on the shape of the confining environment.

Aqueous-phase reactions within microporous Brønsted acids occur at active centers comprised of water-reactant-clustered hydronium ions, solvated within extended hydrogen-bonded water networks that tend to stabilize reactive intermediates and transition states differently. The effects of these diverse clustered and networked structures were disentangled here by measuring turnover rates of gas-phase ethanol dehydration to diethyl ether (DEE) on H-form zeolites as water pressure was increased to the point of intrapore condensation, causing protons to become solvated in larger clusters that subsequently become solvated by extended hydrogen-bonded water networks, according to in situ IR spectra. Measured first-order rate constants in ethanol quantify the stability of S_N2 transition states that eliminate DEE relative to (C₂H₅OH)(H⁺)(H₂O)_n clusters of increasing molecularity, whose structures were respectively determined using metadynamics and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. At low water pressures (2–10 kPa H₂O), rate inhibition by water (–1 reaction order) reflects the need to displace one water by ethanol in the cluster en route to the DEE-formation transition state, which resides at the periphery of water–ethanol clusters. At higher water pressures (10–75 kPa H₂O), water–ethanol clusters reach their maximum stable size ((C₂H₅OH)(H⁺)(H₂O)_4–5), and water begins to form extended hydrogen-bonded networks; concomitantly, rate inhibition by water (up to –3 reaction order) becomes stronger than expected from the molecularity of the reaction, reflecting the more extensive disruption of hydrogen bonds at DEE-formation transition states that contain an additional solvated non-polar ethyl group compared to the relevant reactant cluster, as described by non-ideal thermodynamic formalisms of reaction rates. Microporous voids of different hydrophilic binding site density (Beta; varying H⁺ and Si–OH density) and different size and shape (Beta, MFI, TON, CHA, AEI, FAU), influence the relative extents to which intermediates and transition states disrupt their confined water networks, which manifest as different kinetic orders of inhibition at high water pressures. The confinement of water within sub-nanometer spaces influences the structures and dynamics of the complexes and extended networks formed, and in turn their ability to accommodate the evolution in polarity and hydrogen-bonding capacity as reactive intermediates become transition states in Brønsted acid-catalyzed reactions.

Synthesis of Biomass-Derived Ethers for Use as Fuels and Lubricants

Ethers synthesized from biomass-derived compounds have exceptional properties as fuels, lubricants, and specialty chemicals and can serve as replacements for petroleum-derived products. Recent efforts have identified heterogeneous catalysts for the selective synthesis of ethers from alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, furans, esters, olefins, carboxylic acids, and other molecules derived from biomass. This Review highlights the scope of etherification reactions and provides insights into the choice of catalysts and reaction conditions best suited for producing targeted ethers from the available starting materials. First, the properties of ethers for specific applications and the methods by which synthons for ether synthesis can be obtained from biomass are discussed. Then the progress that has been made on the synthesis of ethers via the following methods is summarized: direct etherification of alcohols; reductive etherification of alcohols with aldehydes or ketones; etherification of furanic compounds, esters, and carboxylic acids; and the addition of alcohols to olefins. Next, the mechanisms of these reactions and catalyst properties required to promote them are discussed, with the goal of understanding how reaction conditions can be tuned to optimize catalyst activity and selectivity towards desired ethers. The Review closes by examining the tradeoffs between catalyst selectivity, activity, stability, and reaction conditions required to achieve the most economically and environmentally favorable routes to biomass-derived ethers.

Porous hollow CoInOx nanocubes as a highly efficient catalyst for the catalytic combustion of toluene

Porous hollow HC-CoInOx nanocubes were synthesized via a SiO2 template strategy involving a cobalt-based metal-organic framework derived from a Prussian Blue analogue. As a heterogeneous catalytic material for the catalytic combustion of toluene, the hollow HC-CoInOx nanocubes displayed superior catalytic performance (T90 = 178 °C) and greatly reduced the activation energy for toluene oxidation due to their large surface area, the formation of surface dangling bands and oxygen vacancies, and increased number of weak acid sites. In comparison, the C-CoInOx sample (without the introduction of a SiO2 template) required a higher reaction temperature to achieve the same conversion of toluene (T90 = 345 °C). Especially, the insertion and coating of SiO2 in CoIn-PBA nanocubes greatly improves their thermal stability, and the nanocubic shape of the porous hollow HC-CoInOx sample can remain intact after roasting at 450 °C, while the nanocubic shape of the C-CoInOx sample without the introduction of SiO2 is partially damaged and suffers from serious aggregation under the same firing conditions. Simultaneously, the porous hollow HC-CoInOx nanocubes also exhibited excellent cycling and thermal stability for the catalytic combustion of toluene to CO2 and H2O.

Deactivation of Sn-Beta zeolites caused by structural transformation of hydrophobic to hydrophilic micropores during aqueous-phase glucose isomerization

Spectroscopic, titration and kinetic methods were used to probe the deactivation of Sn-Beta in water.