An Integrated Catalytic and Transient Study of Sulfated Zirconias: Investigation of the Reaction Mechanism and the Role of Acidic Sites in n‐Butane Isomerization

Abstract

AbstractThe transient temporal analysis of products (TAP) pulse method has been applied to investigate the isomerization of n‐butane on sulfated zirconias at very low pressure. By combining these results with findings from XRD, XPS, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), temperature‐programmed desorption (TPD), and catalytic studies at atmospheric pressure, a wide range of pressure conditions can be accessed to study the influence of surface sulfate groups on the isomerization activity and the mechanism of this reaction. The catalytic activity of powder catalysts has been correlated to the surface site density of sulfates, with pyrosulfate structures playing a major role in the initiation of the reaction. The complex interplay between sulfate‐free and sulfate‐covered zirconia surfaces for the adsorption of alkanes has been investigated in detail, with TAP pulse experiments showing a monomolecular reaction pathway at low n‐butane partial pressures. Moreover, TAP pulse experiments have allowed detection of the reaction products of this initiation process, including butene and water, and have shown their influence on the deactivation of sulfated zirconias. Heats of adsorption have been calculated from the TAP pulse experiments.