Zirconium and phosphorous modified SBA-15: texture, enhanced acidity and methanol dehydration activity

Using an alternative synthesis technique, SBA-15 was modified with zirconium (Zr/Si = 0.03) and phosphorus (P/Si = 0.09). The materials were characterized by thermogravimetry (TGA-DTG), N2physisorption (BET method), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), and the potentiometric titration with n-butylamine (n-BTA) technique. Catalyst evaluation was performed for methanol decomposition in the temperature range of 653–663 K. The introduction of zirconium and phosphorus in the SBA-15 in the amount studied does not modify the textural and structural properties of the SBA-15, but promotes the creation of weak-medium acid sites, which direct the activity towards dimethyl ether (DME) formation from the methanol dehydration, as well as traces of other products of the reaction. © 2016, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary.

DME; Methanol dehydration; Phosphorous; SBA-15; Zirconium Dehydration; Fuels; High resolution transmission electron microscopy; Phosphorus; Scanning electron microscopy; Silicon; Textures; Thermogravimetric analysis; Titration; Voltammetry; Zirconium; Alternative synthesis; Catalyst evaluation; Methanol decomposition; Methanol dehydration; Phosphorous; Potentiometric titrations; SBA-15; Scanning electrons; Methanol

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