Vapor phase ethylation of naphthalene with ethanol over molecular sieve catalysts

Abstract

Ethylation of naphthalene was carried out in the vapor phase over various molecular sieve catalysts. Among the catalysts tested, CeMgY (5 wt.% Ce, 3 wt.% Mg) gave the highest yield of mono and diethylnaphthalenes at a reaction temperature of 250°C and a space velocity of 0.5 h–1. A correlation between acidity of the catalyst and the ethylation activity was obtained. Ethylation of naphthalene was favorable on Brönsted acidic centers. The HY catalyst was modified with rare earth metal cations such as cerium to enhance activity for alkylation and Mg+2 to optimize the acidity of the catalyst. Alkaline earth metal ions, also help in reducing the formation of coke. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, stepwise temperature programed desorption (STPD) of ammonia, TGA, and nitrogen adsorption to measure the surface areas.