New mechanistic insights into the role of water in the dehydration of ethanol into ethylene over ZSM-5 catalysts at low temperature
L. Ouayloul, M. El Doukkali, Mingyang Jiao, Franck Dumeignil, I. Agirrezabal-Telleria
Abstract
We highlight the role of OH-treated weakly acidic ZSM-5 in the ethanol-to-ethylene at low temperature. Ethylene forms via (i) primary dimer from ethanol on Brønsted sites, followed by diethyl ether cracking on Lewis sites, and (ii) secondary cleavage of C–OH in ethanol over Brønsted sites.
Topics & Concepts
EthyleneDehydrationChemistryEthanolCatalysisDiethyl etherZSM-5Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theoryDimerCleavage (geology)EtherOrganic chemistryZeoliteMaterials scienceBiochemistryComposite materialFracture (geology)Zeolite Catalysis and SynthesisCatalysis and Hydrodesulfurization StudiesCatalytic Processes in Materials Science