Preparation of sulfated zirconia-pillared montmorillonite was carried out in two steps; zirconia pillarization and sulfation to\nzirconia-pillared montmorillonite.The prepared materials were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), measurement of\nthe specific surface area, total pore volume and pore size distribution by the N2 adsorption method, scanning electron microscopyenergy\ndispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), and surface acidity determination by using pyridine adsorption-FTIR analysis. The activity\nof the materials as catalysts was evaluated for a microwave-assisted conversion of citronellal. The results showed that the prepared\nmaterials had a physicochemical character that promoted high catalytic activity to convert citronellal. From varied Zr content and\nstudy of the effect of sulfation on the activity, it was found that Zr content and sulfation increase the surface acidity of the material\nas shown by the higher total conversion and tendency to produce menthol as a product of the tandem cyclization-hydrogenation\nmechanism.
Loading....