Reactant-selective catalysis

Reactant selective catalysis here reagents can only enter the zeolite and hence gain access to the catalytic site, if their size is smaller than the pore diameter. 

Figure C2.12.10. Different manifestations of shape-selectivity in zeolite catalysis. Reactant selectivity (top), product selectivity (middle) and transition state selectivity (bottom).

Finally, if there could be a way in which in water selective ri Jt-coordination to the carbonyl group of an a,P-imsatLirated ketone can be achieved, this would be a breakthrough, since it would subject monodentate reactants to catalysis by hard Lewis acids ". ... 

Catalytic Properties. In zeoHtes, catalysis takes place preferentially within the intracrystaUine voids. Catalytic reactions are affected by aperture size and type of channel system, through which reactants and products must diffuse. Modification techniques include ion exchange, variation of Si/A1 ratio, hydrothermal dealumination or stabilization, which produces Lewis acidity, introduction of acidic groups such as bridging Si(OH)Al, which impart Briimsted acidity, and introducing dispersed metal phases such as noble metals. In addition, the zeoHte framework stmcture determines shape-selective effects. Several types have been demonstrated including reactant selectivity, product selectivity, and restricted transition-state selectivity (28). Nonshape-selective surface activity is observed on very small crystals, and it may be desirable to poison these sites selectively, eg, with bulky heterocycHc compounds unable to penetrate the channel apertures, or by surface sdation. 

Shape selective catalysis as typically demonstrated by zeolites is of great interest from scientific as well as industrial viewpoint [17], However, the application of zeolites to organic reactions in a liquid-solid system is very limited, because of insufficient acid strength and slow diffusion of reactant molecules in small pores. We reported preliminarily that the microporous Cs salts of H3PW12O40 exhibit shape selectivity in a liquid-solid system [18]. Here we studied in more detail the acidity, micropore structure and catal3rtic activity of the Cs salts and wish to report that the acidic Cs salts exhibit efficient shape selective catalysis toward decomposition of esters, dehydration of alcohol, and alkylation of aromatic compound in liquid-solid system. The results were discussed in relation to the shape selective adsorption and the acidic properties. 

The reason for the high selectivity of zeohte catalysts is the fact that the catalytic reaction typically takes place inside the pore systems of the zeohtes. The selectivity in zeohte catalysis is therefore closely associated to the unique pore properties of zeohtes. Their micropores have a defined pore diameter, which is different from all other porous materials showing generally a more or less broad pore size distribution. Therefore, minute differences in the sizes of molecules are sufficient to exclude one molecule and allow access of another one that is just a little smaller to the pore system. The high selectivity of zeolite catalysts can be explained by three major effects [14] reactant selectivity, product selectivity, and selectivity owing to restricted size of a transition state (see Figure 4.11). 

Reglospeclflc functionalization of biphenyl is drawing attention as one of key steps in developing advanced materials such as liquid crystals and liquid crystal polymers [1-5]. Catalysis using zeolites is the most promising way to prepare sterlcally small molecules by differentiating between reactants, products, and/or intermediates according to their size and shape. Sterlc restrictions by zeolites Increase the formation of preferred products and prevent the formation of undesirable products [6]. We describe herein shape selective catalysis of 12-membered zeolites, H-mordenite (HM), HY and HL In the alkylation of biphenyl. 

Three types of shape-selective catalysis are distinguished depending on whether pore size limits the entrance of reactant molecules, the departure of product molecules, or the formation of certain transition states [6]. The suitability of zeolite structure for the catalysis is essential for high shape-selectivity. Alkylation of biphenyl is also explained by sterlc control by pore size and shape of zeolite. HY, HL and HM have different pore structures... 

Reactant shape-selective catalysis only molecules with dimensions less than a critical... 

Reactant shape-selective catalysis is demonstrated in the dehydration of butanols. If butan-l-ol (rt-butanol) and butan-2-ol (rso-butanol) are dehydrated... 

FIGURE 7.18 Shape-selective catalysis (a) reactant, (b) product, and (c) transition state. 

This system demonstrates reactant shape-selective catalysis. The branched hydrocarbons are too bulky to pass through the pore openings in the catalyst. 

Shape-selective catalysis in zeolite requires that the reactants diffuse inwards to the active sites located at the intracrystalline volume (pores), and that products counterdif-fuse after the reaction. At the active sites, presence of a high local electric field may direct the reaction according to steric requirements to yield specific products. Thus, shape-selectivity may be achieved by virtue of geometric factors, Coulombic field at the active sites and/or difference in diffusion rates. Accordingly, three different kinds of shape-selectivity are distinguished (Dwyer, 1984). If the geometric factors are such that... 

Zeolites are the most promising microporous materials for achieving highly shape-selective catalysis because their pores are uniformly distributed and have dimensions allowing both the organic reactants and products to enter, to react, and to leave.1... 

Zeolite catalysed alkylation of polynuclear aromatics is considered to be simultaneously governed by several mechanisms. To achieve highly shape-selective catalysis, it is essential that the pore size precisely corresponds to the molecular dimensions of reactants and products, and to the transition state of the reaction intermediates. 

We have seen previously shape-selective catalysis by ZSM-5 in the conversion of methanol to gasoline (Chapter 15).-7 Other commercial processes include the formation of ethylbenzene from benzene and ethylene and the synthesis of p-xylene. The efficient performance of ZSM-5 catalyst has been attributed to its high acidity and to the peculiar shape, arrangement, and dimensions of the channels. Most of the active sites are within the channel so a branched chain molecule may not be able to diffuse in, and therefore does not react, while a linear one may do so. Of course, once a reactant is in the channel a cavity large enough to house the activated complex must exist or product cannot form. Finally, the product must be able to diffuse out. and in some instances product size and shape exclude this possibility. For example, in the methylu-uon of toluene to form xylene ... 

The principle of molecular shape-selective catalytic reaction was established by Weisz and associates in 1960 ( 70), and molecular engineering aspects have been reviewed recently by Chen and Weisz (12). The selective sorption of molecules differing only slightly in their critical dimensions has been applied in the development of industrial separation processes to remove straight chain hydrocarbons from a mixed hydrocarbon stream. In shape-selective catalysis, on the other hand, molecules of proper dimensions are continuously entering and leaving the intracrystalline cavities of the molecular sieve, thus allowing specific selectivi-ties to occur. Reactant selectivity (Scheme 7A) occurs when I of 2... 

Shape selective catalysis differentiates between reactants, products, or reaction intermediates according to their shape and size. If almost all catalytic sites are confined within the pore structure of a zeolite and if the pores are small, the fate of reactant molecules and the probability of forming product molecules are determined by molecular dimensions and configurations as well as by the types of catalytically active sites present. Only molecules whose dimensions are less than a critical size can enter the pores, have access to internal catalytic sites, and react there. Furthermore, only molecules that can leave the pores, appear in the final product. 

Abstract Recent progresses in molecularly imprinted metal-complex catalysts are highlighted in this chapter. Molecular imprinting is a technique to produce a cavity with a similar shape to a particular molecule (template), and the molecularly imprinted cavity acts as shape-selective reaction space for the particular reactant. The application of the molecular-imprinting technique to heterogeneous metal-complex catalysts is focused in the viewpoint of a novel approach in the design of shape-selective catalysis mimicking enzymatic catalysis. 

However, a very specific sort of catalytic behaviour peculiar to clays and zeolites is shape-selective catalysis. Essentially, owing to the fixed nature of the framework channels and cavities, only molecules of the right geometry can pass through. As only certain molecules will have the right geometry to pass into the zeolite, only these molecules will reach the active sites. The selectivity can occur either in reactant or product, or even the transition state. 

The concept of molecular shape-selective catalysis is based on the action of catalytically active sites internal to the zeolitic framework, to diffusivity resistance either to reactant molecules or to product molecules or to both and to void limitation to reaction intermediates.This implies an intimate interaction between the shape, size and configuration of the molecules and the dimension, geometry and tortuosity of the channels and cages of the zeolite. Several types of effects exist ... 

Heterogeneous catalysis offers an opportunity to achieve selectivity based on molecular size and shape. Excellently suited for this purpose are zeolites with their crystal structure of regularly repeating unit cells with voids large enough to accommodate reactants. For catalysis, natural zeolites have been large replaced by synthetic products. Table 9.3 lists structural information on some of the most common natural and synthetic materials. 

Similar shape-selective catalysis has been observed when alkylating benzene over 3-DDM-type catalysts. These results have been presented elsewhere [30J. The combined results clearly indicate that shape selectivity is controlled by the size of the twelve-ring pore of mordenite and the adsorption characteristics of the reactants. The size effect is illustrated in Figure 2 for the p,p - and p,m DIPBP isomers in the alkylation of BP. 

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