Phosphorus-containing solid catalysts and reactions catalyzed thereby, including synthesis of p-xylene
AssigneesRegents of the University of Minnesota, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Delaware
InventorsHong Je Cho, Wei Fan, Michael Tsapatsis, Paul J. Dauenhauer, Limin Ren, Raul Lobo
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Abstract
Methods and phosphorus-containing solid catalysts for catalyzing dehydration of cyclic ethers (e.g., furans, such as 2,5-dimethylfuran) and alcohols (e.g., ethanol and isopropanol). The alcohols and cyclic ethers may be derived from biomass. One example includes a tandem Diels-Alder cycloaddition and dehydration of biomass-derived 2,5-dimethyl-furan and ethylene to renewable p-xylene. The phosphorus-containing solid catalysts are also active and selective for dehydration of alcohols to alkenes.
Claims11
A catalyst comprising:
- a porous material, wherein the porous material is a molecular sieve framework comprising:
- a zeolite beta (BEA) defining micropores bounded by
- 12-membered tetrahedral atom rings;
- silicon;
- aluminum;
- and
- phosphorus coupled to the porous material,
- wherein a ratio of silicon atoms to aluminum atoms in the molecular sieve framework is at least 1000:1;
- and
- wherein when 2,5-dimethylfuran and ethylene are contacted in the presence of the catalyst, and after dehydration, p-xylene is produced in a yield of at least 90%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.