Shape Selectivity of ZSM-5 Type Zeolite for Alkylation of Ethylbenzene with Ethanol

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.61.1051

The alkylation of ethylbenzene with ethanol on ZSM-5 zeolites was studied at 673 K.The primary product in this alkylation on HZSM-5 catalyst was only p-diethylbenzene because of the transition-state selectivity.Therefore, the isomerization of p-diethylbenzene has to be restrained for the selective formation of p-diethylbenzene.The modified HZSM-5 catalysts with oxide of magnesium, phosphorus or boron showed much higher para-selectivity than the parent HZSM-5.The modification reduced not only the effective pore dimension of HZSM-5 but also the amount of strong acid sites.We claim that the absence of strong acid sites is necessary rather than the narrowness of pores for the suppression of the isomerization of p-diethylbenzene produced as a primary product.