Mechanism of chain propagation for the synthesis of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers(PODE)were synthesized from the reaction of paraformaldehyde with dimethoxymethane(DMM)over different acid catalysts at different conditions.Products were found to follow the Schulz-Flory distribution law.The chain propagation proceeds through the insertion of an individual segment of CH2O one by one,while the simultaneous insertion of a few CH2O segments or their assembly is unlikely.Due to the restriction of this law,it is difficult to increase the selectivity to the desired products(e.g.,PODE3 4).

Effect of loading on the Ni_2P/Al_2O_3 catalysts for the hydrotreating reactions

The 80%Ni2P/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by the phosphidation of corresponding 80%Ni/Al2O3 with triphenylphosphine in liquid phase and compared with the 60%Ni2P/Al2O3 for hydrotreating reactions. Both the60%Ni2P/Al2O3 and 80%Ni2P/Al2O3 in comparison exhibited the small and uniform Ni2 P particles（6.3 and8.4 nm,respectively）,high CO uptakes（305 and 345 μmol/g,respectively） and thus high activities for the hydrotreating reactions. After the hydrotreating reactions,the small and uniform Ni2 P particles were remained,although the CO uptakes on the used 60%Ni2P/Al2O3 and 80%Ni2P/Al2O3 were greatly decreased（to 68 and95 μmol/g,respectively） due to the incorporation of S into the Ni2 P surfaces. The 80%Ni2P/Al2O3 was found to be significantly more active than the 60%Ni2P/Al2O3 due to that the 80%Ni2P/Al2O3 possessed more,and more active Ni2 P sites than the 60%Ni2P/Al2O3,probably due to the less S incorporated in the 80%Ni2P/Al2O3 than in the 60%Ni2P/Al2O3 during the hydrotreating reactions.

Preparation of Fe_2P/Al_2O_3 and FeP/Al_2O_3 catalysts for the hydrotreating reactions

A 60%Fe/Al_2O_3 catalyst was prepared by the co-precipitation method.It was reduced by H_2 to produce metallic Fe,which was then sulfided by CS_2 to Fe_(0.96) S and Fe_3S_4 or phosphided by triphenylphosphine(PPh3) in liquid phases to Fe2 P and Fe P.It was found that the iron sulfides(Fe0.96 S and Fe_3S_4) exhibited the low activity for the hydrodesulfurization(HDS) reactions.The HDS activity was also low on the Fe(metal)/Al_2O_3 and Fe_2 P/Al_2O_3 catalysts since they were converted into Fe0.96 S and Fe_3S_4 during the HDS reactions.In contrast,the FeP/Al_2O_3 was found to be stable and active for the HDS reactions.In particular,Fe P/Al_2O_3 possessed significantly smaller Fe P particles than Fe P/C,leading to the significant higher HDS activity of FeP/Al_2O_3 than Fe P/C.

Optimization of MgO/Al_2O_3 ratio for the maximization of active site densities in the Ni_2P/MgAlO catalysts for the hydrotreating reactions

The Ni2P/MgAlO catalysts with different MgO/Al2O3 ratios were prepared by the phosphidation of corresponding Ni/MgAlO catalysts with triphenylphosphine in liquid phase. It was found that the MgO/Al2O3 ratio affected the Ni2P/MgAlO catalysts significantly. The Ni2P/MgAlO catalyst with the MgO/Al2O3 ratio of 3 (w/w) exhibited the highly dispersed Ni2P particles (similar to 9 nm) with the highest CO uptake (344 mu mol/g) and thus the highest activities for the hydrotreating reactions. However, based on the CO uptakes on the used catalysts, the TOF values for the hydrodesulphurization of dibenzothiophene as well as those for the hydrogenation of tetralin on all the Ni2P/MgAlO catalysts were respectively similar, indicating that the MgO/Al2O3 ratio did not affect the intrinsic activities of Ni2P supported on the MgAlO support for the hydrotreating reactions. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Sulfonated carbon materials with hydrophilic and lipophilic properties

Two acidic carbon materials （H-PRC and HS-C） were used as catalysts for the condensation reaction of methanol with formaldehyde to produce dimethoxymethane （DMM） in aqueous solution （hydrophilic system） and for the etherification of isopentene with methanol to produce tert amyl methyl ether （TAME） in toluene solution （lipophilic system）. Microcalorimetric adsorptions of water and benzene showed that the HS-C was highly hydrophilic without the lipophilicity, while the H-PRC exhibited both the hydrophilicity and lipophilicity. Thus, the HS-C was well dispersed in aqueous solution and difficult to separate from it. On the other hand, the H-PRC was highly active, more active than the acidic resin （D008） and sulfuric acid, for the synthesis of DMM in aqueous solution. The H-PRC was also highly active, more active than the HS-C, for the etherification of isopentene with methanol to produce TAME in toluene solution, probably owing to its amphiphilic surface property as well as its strong surface acidity as measured by the microcalorirnetric adsorption of NH3.