Formation of trimethylpentanes from isobutane and 1-butene catalyzed by sulfated metal oxides

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/cl.1999.231

The gas-phase alkylation of 1-butene with isobutane was carried out over superacids of sulfated metal oxides, SO₄/Fe₂O₃, SO₄/Al₂O₃, SO₄/TiO₂, SO₄/SnO₂, and SO₄/ZrO₂, at 0 °C; SO₄/SnO₂ gave the highest yield of trimethylpentane (TMP). It was proved from relationship between the catalyst acidities and the yields of C₈ paraffins that the first intermediate species was a t-butyl cation formed on the superacidic Lewis site by abstraction of H^- followed by the alkylation with butenes to form TMP.