Confined dual Lewis acid centers for selective cascade C-C coupling and deoxygenation

The selective formation of C-C bonds, coupled with effective removal of oxygen, plays a crucial role in the process of upgrading biomass-derived oxygenates into fuels and chemicals. However, co-feeding reactants with water is sometimes necessary to assist binding sites in catalytic reactions, thereby achieving desirable performance. Here, we report the design of a CeSnBeta catalyst featuring dual Lewis acidic sites for the efficient production of isobutene from acetone via C-C coupling followed by deoxygenation. By incorporating Ce species onto SnBeta, which was synthesized through liquid-phase grafting of dealuminated Beta, we created confined dual Lewis acidic centers within Beta zeolites. The cooperative action of Ce species and framework Sn sites within this confined environment enabled selective catalysis of the acetone-to-isobutene cascade reactions, showcasing enhanced stability even without the presence of water.

Elucidating the Cooperative Roles of Water and Lewis Acid-Base Pairs in Cascade C-C Coupling and Self-Deoxygenation Reactions

Water plays pivotal roles in tailoring reaction pathways in many important reactions, including cascade C-C bond formation and oxygen elimination. Herein, a kinetic study combined with complementary analyses (DRIFTS, isotopic study, ¹H solid-state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to elucidate the roles of water in cascade acetone-to-isobutene reactions on a Zn _x Zr _y O _z mixed metal oxide with balanced Lewis acid-base pairs. Our results reveal that the reaction follows the acetone-diacetone alcohol-isobutene pathway. Isobutene is produced through an intramolecular rearrangement of the eight-membered ring intermediate formed via the adsorption of diacetone alcohol on the Lewis acid-base pairs in the presence of cofed water. OH adspecies, formed by the dissociative adsorption of water on the catalyst surface, were found to distort diacetone alcohol's hydroxyl functional group toward its carbonyl functional group and facilitate the intramolecular rearrangement of diacetone alcohol to form isobutene. In the absence of water, diacetone alcohol binds strongly to the Lewis acid site, e.g., at a Zr⁴⁺ site, via its carbonyl functional group, leading to its dramatic structural distortion and further dehydration reaction to form mesityl oxide as well as subsequent polymerization reactions and the formation of coke. The present results provide insights into the cooperative roles of water and Lewis acid-base pairs in catalytic upgrading of biomass to fuels and chemicals.

Mechanism and Kinetics of Acetone Conversion to Isobutene over Isolated Hf Sites Grafted to Silicalite-1 and SiO2

Isolated hafnium (Hf) sites were prepared on Silicalite-1 and SiO₂ and investigated for acetone conversion to isobutene. Characterization by IR, ¹H MAS NMR, and UV-vis spectroscopy suggests that Hf atoms are bonded to the support via three O atoms and have one hydroxyl group, i.e, (≡SiO)₃Hf-OH. In the case of Hf/Silicalite-1, Hf-OH groups hydrogen bond with adjacent Si-OH to form (≡SiO)₃Hf-OH···HO-Si≡ complexes. The turnover frequency for isobutene formation from acetone is 4.5 times faster over Hf/Silicalite-1 than Hf/SiO₂. Lewis acidic Hf sites promote the aldol condensation of acetone to produce mesityl oxide (MO), which is the precursor to isobutene. For Hf/SiO₂, both Hf sites and Si-OH groups are responsible for the decomposition of MO to isobutene and acetic acid, whereas for Hf/Silicalite-1, the (≡SiO)₃Hf-OH···HO-Si≡ complex is the active site. Measured reaction kinetics show that the rate of isobutene formation over Hf/SiO₂ and Hf/Silicalite-1 is nearly second order in acetone partial pressure, suggesting that the rate-limiting step involves formation of the C-C bond between two acetone molecules. The rate expression for isobutene formation predicts a second order dependence in acetone partial pressure at low partial pressures and a decrease in order with increasing acetone partial pressure, in good agreement with experimental observation. The apparent activation energy for isobutene formation from acetone over Hf/SiO₂ is 116.3 kJ/mol, while that for Hf/Silicalite-1 is 79.5 kJ/mol. The lower activation energy for Hf/Silicalite-1 is attributed to enhanced adsorption of acetone and formation of a C-C bond favored by the H-bonding interaction between Hf-OH and an adjacent Si-OH group.