Vapor Phase Alkylation of Isomeric Cresols with Tert -Butyl Alcohol over Perlite Supported Sulfated Zirconia Catalyst

Sakshi Kabra Malpani, Deepti Goyal, Sampath Chinnam, Sunil K. Sharma, Stuti Katara and Ashu Rani
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Sakshi Kabra Malpani: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jyoti Nivas College Autonomous, Bengaluru 560095, Karnataka, India
Deepti Goyal: Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Vocational Studies & Applied Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida 201308, Uttar Pradesh, India
Sampath Chinnam: Department of Chemistry, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Visvesvaraya Technological University, Bengaluru 560054, Karnataka, India
Sunil K. Sharma: Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, New York, NY 11790, USA
Stuti Katara: Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Kota, Kota 324005, Rajasthan, India
Ashu Rani: Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Kota, Kota 324005, Rajasthan, India

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: In the present study, perlite was thermally activated and then modified desirably to generate super acidity by loading different weight percentages of sulfated zirconia (SZ) via the two-step sol-gel method. As-prepared sulfated zirconia perlite (SZP) catalysts showed suitable catalytic potential in the vapor phase alkylation of o , m , and p -cresols with tert -butyl alcohol. The presence of crystalline phases in SZP catalysts was confirmed by XRD and FT-IR studies. TEM images revealed the nano size of the catalysts in the range of 9–25 nm. The presence of SZ on the surface of perlite was further confirmed by N 2 adsorption–desorption, SEM, SEM-EDX, TGA, and UV-Vis DRS techniques. The pyridine FT-IR results confirmed the existence of Brønsted, Lewis acidic sites and their combination as super acidic catalytic active centers on the surface of catalyst utilized in the vapor phase alkylation of o , m , and p -cresols with tert -butyl alcohol. The regeneration and reusability of the preferred catalyst until the 5th reaction cycle without any considerable loss in catalytic activity demonstrated the stability of the catalyst. Comparative studies show that SZP can be regenerated and is superior compared to other catalysts previously used for other alkylation reactions with the potential for use on a large scale.

Keywords: perlite; sulfated zirconia; vapor phase; alkylation; cresols; tert -butyl alcohol; reusability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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