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Cleary SR, Starace AK, Curran-Velasco CC, Ruddy DA, McGuirk CM. The Overlooked Potential of Sulfated Zirconia: Reexamining Solid Superacidity Toward the Controlled Depolymerization of Polyolefins. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:6612-6653. [PMID: 38509763 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Closed-loop recycling via an efficient chemical process can help alleviate the global plastic waste crisis. However, conventional depolymerization methods for polyolefins, which compose more than 50% of plastics, demand high temperatures and pressures, employ precious noble metals, and/or yield complex mixtures of products limited to single-use fuels or oils. Superacidic forms of sulfated zirconia (SZrO) with Hammet Acidity Functions (H0) ≤ - 12 (i.e., stronger than 100% H2SO4) are industrially deployed heterogeneous catalysts capable of activating hydrocarbons under mild conditions and are shown to decompose polyolefins at temperatures near 200 °C and ambient pressure. Additionally, confinement of active sites in porous supports is known to radically increase selectivity, coking and sintering resistance, and acid site activity, presenting a possible approach to low-energy polyolefin depolymerization. However, a critical examination of the literature on SZrO led us to a surprising conclusion: despite 40 years of catalytic study, engineering, and industrial use, the surface chemistry of SZrO is poorly understood. Ostensibly spurred by SZrO's impressive catalytic activity, the application-driven study of SZrO has resulted in deleterious ambiguity in requisite synthetic conditions for superacidity and insufficient characterization of acidity, porosity, and active site structure. This ambiguity has produced significant knowledge gaps surrounding the synthesis, structure, and mechanisms of hydrocarbon activation for optimized SZrO, stunting the potential of this catalyst in olefin cracking and other industrially relevant reactions, such as isomerization, esterification, and alkylation. Toward mitigating these long extant issues, we herein identify and highlight these current shortcomings and knowledge gaps, propose explicit guidelines for characterization of and reporting on characterization of solid acidity, and discuss the potential of pore-confined superacids in the efficient and selective depolymerization of polyolefins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Cleary
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Anne K Starace
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Caleb C Curran-Velasco
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Daniel A Ruddy
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - C Michael McGuirk
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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2
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Nifant’ev IE, Komarov PD, Kostomarova OD, Kolosov NA, Ivchenko PV. MAO- and Borate-Free Activating Supports for Group 4 Metallocene and Post-Metallocene Catalysts of α-Olefin Polymerization and Oligomerization. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3095. [PMID: 37514483 PMCID: PMC10384419 DOI: 10.3390/polym15143095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern industry of advanced polyolefins extensively uses Group 4 metallocene and post-metallocene catalysts. High-throughput polyolefin technologies demand the use of heterogeneous catalysts with a given particle size and morphology, high thermal stability, and controlled productivity. Conventional Group 4 metal single-site heterogeneous catalysts require the use of high-cost methylalumoxane (MAO) or perfluoroaryl borate activators. However, a number of inorganic phases, containing highly acidic Lewis and Brønsted sites, are able to activate Group 4 metal pre-catalysts using low-cost and affordable alkylaluminums. In the present review, we gathered comprehensive information on MAO- and borate-free activating supports of different types and discussed the surface nature and chemistry of these phases, examples of their use in the polymerization of ethylene and α-olefins, and prospects of the further development for applications in the polyolefin industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya E. Nifant’ev
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Av. 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (I.E.N.); (P.D.K.)
- Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1-3, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel D. Komarov
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Av. 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (I.E.N.); (P.D.K.)
| | | | - Nikolay A. Kolosov
- NIOST LLC, Kuzovlevsky Tr. 2-270, 634067 Tomsk, Russia; (O.D.K.); (N.A.K.)
| | - Pavel V. Ivchenko
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Av. 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (I.E.N.); (P.D.K.)
- Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1-3, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Separation of Toluene/1-Hexene via Liquid–Liquid Extraction. SEPARATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/separations9110369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The separation of aromatic/olefin mixtures is a difficult task in the petrochemical industry, since the boiling points of these hydrocarbons are very similar. This work aims to use deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the extraction of toluene from 1-hexene by liquid–liquid extraction. A total of 53 DESs were studied qualitatively and quantitatively using the COSMO-RS approach to separate the binary mixture of toluene and 1-hexene. The selectivity, capacity, and performance index of all DESs were evaluated by calculating the activity coefficient at infinite dilution. The σ-profile and σ-potential of each component were interpreted to evaluate the interactions between the different species. We then selected three DESs for experimental validation, namely benzyltriphenylphosphonium chloride:triethylene glycol BzTPPCl:TEG (1:8), tetrabutylammonium bromide:triethylene glycol TBABr:TEG (1:3), and tetrabutylammonium bromide:ethylene glycol TBABr: EG (1:4). Experimental liquid–liquid equilibrium data were obtained for the ternary mixtures {1-hexene (1) + toluene (2) + DES (3)} at T = 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. Based on the selectivity data and the solute distribution ratio, the feasibility of different DESs as extractive solvents was tested. Finally, 1H NMR was performed to elucidate the extraction mechanism. No DES was found in the raffinate phase, indicating minimal cross-contamination.
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Wang S, Meng X, Liu N, Shi L. Alkylation for removing trace olefins from reforming aromatics over novel Al2O3@SO42-/ZrO2 catalysts derived from the ZrO2-coated γ-Al2O3 strategy. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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5
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Wang S, Meng X, Liu N, Shi L. Effective Catalyst for Removing Trace Olefins from Reforming Aromatics: Sulfated Zirconia with High Sulfur Content Synthesized by Sulfonation with Chlorosulfonic Acid. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c00380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sitan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuan Meng
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of China
| | - Naiwang Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Shi
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of China
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Wang S, Yin T, Meng X, Liu N, Shi L. Synthesis of Al-incorporated sulfated zirconia with improved and stabilized surface sulfur species for removal of trace olefins from aromatics. Catal Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1cy01443a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Incorporating Al into zirconia significantly improves and stabilizes the surface sulfur species. The outstanding catalytic performance of Al-incorporated sulfated zirconia was obtained when it was applied in removing trace olefins from aromatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sitan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Yin
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan Meng
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Naiwang Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Shi
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
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Kong D, Peng Q, Shi L, Wang X, Meng X, Hu X, Liu N. Metal‐reinforced sulfonic‐acid‐modified zirconia for the removal of trace olefins from aromatics. J CHIN CHEM SOC-TAIP 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jccs.201900507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Decun Kong
- International Joint Research Center of Green Energy Chemical Engineering East China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Qian Peng
- International Joint Research Center of Green Energy Chemical Engineering East China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Li Shi
- International Joint Research Center of Green Energy Chemical Engineering East China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Xin Wang
- International Joint Research Center of Green Energy Chemical Engineering East China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Xuan Meng
- International Joint Research Center of Green Energy Chemical Engineering East China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Xiude Hu
- State Key Laboratory of High‐efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering Ningxia University Yinchuan China
| | - Naiwang Liu
- International Joint Research Center of Green Energy Chemical Engineering East China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
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Yu H, Zang J, Liu G, Hong M, Chen R, Chen T. Acid-Modified Hierarchical Porous Rare-Earth-Containing Y Zeolite as a Highly Active and Stable Catalyst for Olefin Removal. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:18028-18034. [PMID: 32743176 PMCID: PMC7391365 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c01457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Rare-earth-containing ultrastable Y zeolite (ReUSY) was modified by oxalic acid solution leaching treatment and applied in industrial units for catalytic olefin removal from aromatic hydrocarbons. The porous structure and amount of acidity of the modified ReUSY (denoted as ReUSY-x, where x indicated the amount of oxalic acid in solution) could be tuned by different concentrations of oxalic acid solution, and the ReUSY-x samples exhibited different catalytic performances. Based on the best catalytic performance of ReUSY-25, an industrial catalyst was prepared and applied in industrial units for catalytic olefin removal. The industrial catalyst exhibited excellent activity and regeneration stability with a long lifetime of about 2 years, which was about 13 times longer than that of activated clay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibin Yu
- CenerTech
Tianjin Chemical Research & Design Institute Company, Ltd., Tianjin 300131, PR China
| | - Jiazhong Zang
- CenerTech
Tianjin Chemical Research & Design Institute Company, Ltd., Tianjin 300131, PR China
| | - Guanfeng Liu
- CenerTech
Tianjin Chemical Research & Design Institute Company, Ltd., Tianjin 300131, PR China
| | - Meihua Hong
- CenerTech
Tianjin Chemical Research & Design Institute Company, Ltd., Tianjin 300131, PR China
| | - Rui Chen
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai
University, Tianjin 300350, PR China
| | - Tiehong Chen
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai
University, Tianjin 300350, PR China
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Torres-Rodríguez J, Kalmár J, Menelaou M, Čelko L, Dvořak K, Cihlář J, Cihlař J, Kaiser J, Győri E, Veres P, Fábián I, Lázár I. Heat treatment induced phase transformations in zirconia and yttria-stabilized zirconia monolithic aerogels. J Supercrit Fluids 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.supflu.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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10
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The effects of ammonium sulfate and sulfamic acid on the surface acidity of sulfated zirconia. JOURNAL OF SAUDI CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jscs.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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11
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Liu N, Wang X, Shi L, Meng X. Metallic oxide-modified sulfated zirconia: an environment-friendly solid acid catalyst. NEW J CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1039/c8nj04636k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Metallic oxides were introduced into the synthesis of sulfated zirconia. Catalytic activity was tested by an olefin removal reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiwang Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- People's Republic of China
| | - Li Shi
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan Meng
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- People's Republic of China
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