Addition of a base to enhance product yield in alkylation reactions

A process of producing styrene comprising:

• providing toluene, a co-feed, and a C1 source to a reactor comprising a catalyst containing acid sites;
• wherein the catalyst comprises a X-zeolite and Cs has been inserted;
• and
• reacting toluene with the C1 source in the presence of the catalyst and the co-feed to form a product stream comprising ethylbenzene and styrene;
• wherein the C1 source is selected from the group consisting of methanol, formaldehyde, formalin, trioxane, methylformcel, paraformaldehyde, methylal, dimethyl ether, and combinations thereof;
• wherein the co-feed is selected from the group consisting of aniline, cresol, and anisol, and combinations thereof;
• wherein the co-feed is present in amounts from 0.1 to 5.0 wt % based on the total weight of the feed and removes at least a portion of the acid sites on the catalyst;
• and
• wherein molecules of the co-feed can occupy spatial volume near the acid sites of the catalyst.