PAN Li, ZHANG Yin, JIA Zhi-qi, GAO Chun-guang, ZHAO Yong-xiang
(Research Center For Fine Chemicals Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi, China)
Abstract: A series of highly homogenous ZrO2-SiO2 complex oxide were obtained via alcohol-aqueous heating method. The effects of the content of ZrO2 and calcination temperature on the acid properties of ZrO2-SiO2 complex oxides, including acid amount and acidic type, were investigated. Catalytic performances of these materials were examined for the polymerization of tetrahydrofuran (THF). When ZrO2 content in complex oxide was smaller than 30 mol%, the amount of total acidity of complex oxides increased obviously as ZrO2 content increased, moreover, the mole ratio of Brønsted acidity and Lewis acidity was almost 1:1. When ZrO2 content in complex oxide was up to 50 mol%, the amount of total acidity increased slightly, the amount of Brønsted acidity decreased and Lewis acidity increased evidently. After thecalcination at higher temperature the average pore size of complex oxide increased wherever pore volume decreased. Besides, the amount of total surface acidity decreased but the proportion of Lewis acidity increased. The polymerization of THF indicated that all of the complex oxide showed good catalytic performance. The complex oxide with ZrO2 content of 50 mol% calcined at 1173 K had larger pore size and the highest polymer yield of 46.38%.
Key words: ZrO2-SiO2 complex oxide; tetrahydrofuran; polymerization; acidity; pore size
E-mail: yxzhao@sxu.edu.cn
Journal of Molecular Catalysis, Vol. 25, Issue 2, 2011, 130~137
