Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2014, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (2): 264-269.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(12)60751-7

• Research papers • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Cyanoethylation of alcohols and amines by cesium-modified zeolite Y

Sara Zamanian, Ali Nemati Kharat   

  1. School of Chemistry, University College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
  • Received:2013-08-22 Revised:2013-11-13 Online:2014-01-16 Published:2014-01-17
  • Contact: Ali Nemati Kharat

Abstract:

Zeolite Y modified by cesium and magnesium ions was prepared by ion-exchange and impregnation methods, and its activity in the cyanoethylation of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols and amines was investigated. During the preparation of some samples, the transformation of zeolite Y into a pollucite-type phase occurred. This phase exhibited good activity in the cyanoethylation of aliphatic alcohols. The prepared solids modified by the impregnation method were more active than the ion-exchanged solids. The activities of the catalysts, in contrast to other basic solids, were scarcely affected by the presence of air or moisture. A correlation between catalyst basicity and catalytic activity is discussed. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, volumetric nitrogen adsorption surface area measurement, and CO2 temperature-programmed desorption. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the particles of the modified nanocatalysts were < 40 nm. The reaction of acrylonitrile with linear alcohols in the presence of the catalysts was accelerated by microwave irradiation.

Key words: Modified Y zeolite, Basic catalyst, Cyanoethylation, Nano-particle