Abstract
The characterization of surface acid sites is a major issue for the mechanistic understanding and activity prediction of a solid catalyst, especially for applications that require the use of bi-functional materials. The concentration of Brønsted acid sites is measured by two main methods: adsorption of a probe molecule, and catalytic activity in a model reaction. In a previous study, we reported that the adsorption of 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine on the surface of alumina-supported reforming catalysts (PtSn/Al2O3–Cl) was very effective in determining the density of Brønsted acid sites. In this work, the acidity of reforming catalysts was studied through their activity in the model reaction of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene isomerization. We have demonstrated that the activity of reforming catalysts is clearly correlated with the surface chlorine density and more extensively with the density of Brønsted acid sites as measured by the adsorption of 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine. As a result, this study highlights the relevance of using 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine adsorption in the characterization of the Brønsted acidity of an alumina with no metal phase interference.
Accepted Version (
Free)
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call