Solid superacids types

Hull and Conant in 1927 showed that weak organic bases (ketones and aldehydes) will form salts with perchloric acid in nonaqueous solvents. This results from the ability of perchlonc aad in nonaqueous systems to protonate these weak bases. These early investigators called such a system a superacid. Some authorities believe that any protic acid that is stronger than sulfunc aad (100%) should be typed as a superaad. Based upon this criterion, fluorosulfuric arid and trifluoro-methanesulfonic acid, among others, are so classified. Acidic oxides (silica and silica-aluminai have been used as solid acid catalysts for many years. Within the last few years, solid acid systems of considerably greater strength have been developed and can he classified as solid superacids. 

Zeolites such as HZSM-5 were considered as superacids on the basis of the initial product distribution in accord with C-H and C-C bond protolysis when isoalkanes were reacted at 500°C (the Haag and Dessau mechanism).135 The reactivity was assigned to superacidic sites in the zeolite framework.136 The superacid character of other solid acids was claimed on the basis of Hammett indicator color change137,138 or on the basis of UV spectrophotometric measurements.139,140 In 2000, a special issue of Microporous and Mesoporous Materials141 was devoted to the superacid-type hydrocarbon chemistry taking place on solid acids as suggested by the late Werner Haag. 

This review summarizes the recent works on syntheses of solid superacids and their catalytic action, including Lewis acids and liquid superacids in the solid state, as discussed in Sections Il-IV. Sections VI and VII describe new types of solid superacids we have studied in this decade sulfate-supported metal oxides and tungsten or molybdenum oxide supported on zirconia. Perfluorinated sulfonic acid, based on the acid form of DuPont s Nafion brand ion membrane resin, is also gaining interest as a solid superacid catalyst Nafion-H-catalyzed reactions are reviewed in Section V. 

The topic of catalysis with Nafion has recently been reviewed in detail (56). Apart from using Nafion-H primarily as a solid superacid catalyst, a number of reports have described the use of functionalized Nafion derivatives by metal cation exchange to achieve various types of organic reaction. These include a bifunctional catalyst (acid and cation site), a heterogeneous perfluorosulfonate salt (only cation sites), and a trifunctional... 

Solid catalysts can be used at elevated temperatures, though their acidities are much weaker than those of liquid ones. From this point of view, solid superacids based on Lewis acids and liquid superacids discussed in Sections II—1V are not sufficiently stable Nafion-H is also unsatisfactory, its maximum operating temperature being below 200°C. A new type of the sulfate-supported metal oxides is more stable because of preparatory heat treatment at high temperatures, but elimination of the sulfate is sometimes observed during reaction, thus it is hoped to synthesize superacids with the system of metal oxides. Another type of superacid, tungsten or molybdenum oxide supported on zirconia, has been prepared by a new preparation method, and its stability is satisfactory so far. It is hoped that the preparation method will be extensively applied to other metal oxides for new solid superacids. 

Recently, various kinds of solid superacids have been developed. The first group is metal oxides and mixed oxides containing a small amount of sulfate ion, and those modified with platinum. The second group is metal oxides, mixed oxides, graphite, metal salts, etc. treated or combined with antimony fluoride or aluminum chloride. The third group is perfluorinated polymer sulfuric acid (Nafion-H). The fourth and fifth groups are H-ZSM-5 and a type of heteropolyacids, respectively. The last group is simply mixed oxides. 

Solid superacids of the sulfated zirconia type were found active for n-butane isomerization at low reaction temperatures (50). These catalysts, however, were rapidly deactivated with time on stream. The isomerization selectivity and the stability of sulfated zirconia catalysts can be incerased by the introduction of Pt and by carrying out the reaction in the presence of H2. Higher catalytic activities were obtained when Pt was impregnated after the impregnation of zirconia gel with 0.5 M H2SO4 (51). Sulfated zirconia promoted with Fe or Mn showed an even higher activity than unpromoted SZ for the low temperature isomerization of n-butane (52). 

Another type of solid superacid is based on perfluorinated resin sulfonic acids, such as the acid form of DuPont s Nafion resin, a copolymer of a perfluorinated epoxide and vinylsulfonic acid, or higher perflu-oroalkanesulfonic acids such as perfluorodecanesulfonic acid, CF3(CF2) 03H. Such solid catalysts were found to be very efficient in alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons and other Friedel-Crafts reactions. A comprehensive review is available on the application of Nafion-H in organic catalysis. ... 

Sommer and coworkers have made important observations with respect to the activation of alkanes over sulfated zirconia, a new type of solid superacid. Whereas isotope exchange of small alkanes occurs with the involvement of the corresponding pentacoordinate ions, a classical carbenium ion-type mechanism was found to be operative for larger homologs (propane, isobutane). The exception is the isomerization of n-butane over sulfated zirconia promoted by Pt and alumina, where the initiation step for isomerization was suggested to be the protolysis of the C-H bond. ... 

Different solid acid catalysts like zeolite Y [2-6], beta [7-9], MCM-22 [10], solid superacids [11-13], sulphonic acid resins [14], etc. have been proposed as potential alkylation catalysts and some of them are being tested at a pilot plant scale. Zeolites and solid superacids of sulfated zirconia type were found to be the most active but they suffer rapid deactivation after an initial period. Among different zeolites studied large-pore zeolites are prefered over medium-pore type because the former favors the formation and diffusion of bulkier tri-methylpentane isomers. Beside pore size and zeolite structure, the fiamework composition (Si/Al ratio) and acid strength distribution also play an important role on the activity, selectivity and deactivation of the catalysts. It is known that the adsorption behavior of the zeolite and the extent of hydrogen transfer capacity (a crucial factor of alkylation activity) both depend on the aluminium concentration in the framework [15-16]. 

On these bases it was accepted that, indeed, a new type of solid superacids was obtained and this opened new perspectives in the use of friendly solid catalysts for carrying out, reactions involving very strong acid sites under mild conditions. However, when research on this subject had progressed it became necessary to question the superacidity of sulfated metal oxides on the basis of the following observations. The use of Ho values for... 

The solid superacid (SO42" /MxOy) is a new type of catalyst used in esterification (Jiang et al., 2004). MxOy are usually some transition metal oxides such as Zr02 and Ti02. 

Although H2S is normally a weak acid, it functions as a base in a superacid such as HF/SbF5 in liquid HF. The H3S+ ion is generated, and although solid H3S+SbF5 has been obtained, there is very limited chemistry associated with this type of compound. 

The tendency in the past decades has been to replace them with solid acids (Figure 13.1). These solid acids could present important advantages, decreasing reactor and plant corrosion problems (with simpler and safer maintenance), and favoring catalyst regeneration and environmentally safe disposal. This is the case of the use of zeolites, amorphous sihco-aluminas, or more recently, the so-called superacid solids, that is, sulfated metal oxides, heteropolyoxometalates, or nation (Figure 13.1). It is clear that the well-known carbocation chemistry that occurs in liquid-acid processes also occurs on the sohd-acid catalysts (similar mechanisms have been proposed in both catalyst types) and the same process variables that control liquid-acid reactions also affect the solid catalyst processes. 

Several metal oxides could be used as acid catalysts, although zeolites and zeo-types are mainly preferred as an alternative to liquid acids (Figure 13.1). This is a consequence of the possibility of tuning the acidity of microporous materials as well as the shape selectivity observed with zeolites that have favored their use in new catalytic processes. However, a solid with similar or higher acid strength than 100% sulfuric acid (the so-called superacid materials) could be preferred in some processes. From these solid catalysts, nation, heteropolyoxometalates, or sulfated metal oxides have been extensively studied in the last ten years (Figure 13.2). Their so-called superacid character has favored their use in a large number of acid reactions alkane isomerization, alkylation of isobutene, or aromatic hydrocarbons with olefins, acylation, nitrations, and so forth. 

Different catalysts bring about different types of isomerization of hydrocarbons. Acids are the best known and most important catalysts bringing about isomerization through a carbocationic process. Brpnsted and Lewis acids, acidic solids, and superacids are used in different applications. Base-catalyzed isomerizations of hydrocarbons are less frequent, with mainly alkenes undergoing such transformations. Acetylenes and allenes are also interconverted in base-catalyzed reactions. Metals with dehydrogenating-hydrogenating activity usually supported on oxides are also used to bring about isomerizations. Zeolites with shape-selective characteristics... 

The acidic sites of solid acids may be of either the Brpnsted (proton donor, often OH group) or Lewis type (electron acceptor). Both types have been identified by IR studies of solid surfaces using the pyridine adsorption method. The absorption band at 1460 cm 1 is assigned to pyridine coordinated with the Lewis acid site, and another absorption at 1540 cm 1 is attributed to the pyridinium ion resulting from the protonation of pyridine by the Brpnsted acid sites. Various solids displaying acidic properties, whose acidities can be enhanced to the superacidity range, are listed in Table 2.6. 

Ways have been found to immobilize and/or to bind superacidic catalysts to an otherwise inert solid support. Several types are described in this section. 

In discussing superacids as catalysts for chemical reactions, we will review both liquid (Magic Acid, fluoroantimonic acid, etc.) and solid (Nafion-H, etc.) acid-catalyzed reactions, but not those of conventional Friedel-Crafts-type catalysts. The latter reactions have been extensively reviewed elsewhere (see G. A. Olah, Friedel-Crafts Chemistry, Wiley, New York, 1972 G. A. Olah, ed., Friedel-Crafts and Related Reactions, Vols. I-IV, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1963-1965). 

It is interesting to compare this transition state in the solid with the one calculated from the HF-SbF5 system. In the liquid superacid, the ionic character is very strong and it is easier to connect the reactivity with the unusual activity of the proton even when solvated by the HF solvent. In contrast, on the solid the theoretical calculated transition state is further away from the carbonium ion type and in line with the much higher temperatures needed to activate the alkane with weaker acids. 

Another type of catalyst claimed to exhibit superacidity [8] is exemplified by sulphate-treated zirconia. This solid has now been investigated as a catalyst for converting methane-ethylene mixtures to higher hydrocarbons. 

Many types of solid acid and base catalysts are known.11 Superacids are those that are at least as strong as 100% sulfuric acid.12 The acid strengths are measured using basic indicators and are assigned a Hammett acidity function, H0- Table 6.1 lists some superacids, with the strongest at the top. 

Zmierczak et al.4 have investigated the catalytic hydrocracking of non-vulcanized rubber (SBR, styrene-butadiene copolymers) over superacid solids, consisting of sulfated Zr and Fe oxides. Figure 6.7 shows the GC-MS analysis of the liquids produced at 400 °C over sulfated Fe203, with assignments of the main peaks. Three types of product are observed C5-C9 paraffins produced from the butadiene blocks of the polymer, alkylbenzenes derived from the... 

Carbenium ions have three bonds to the central carbon and are planar, with the bonds directed toward the corners of a triangle (sp hybridization). They have six electrons in outer shell of carbon and a vacant p orbital. Carbenium ions are important intermediates in a number of organic reactions, notably the S l mechanism of NUCLEOPHILIC SUBSTITUTION. It is possible tO produce stable carbenium ions in salts of the type (C H5)3C C1", which are orange-red solids. In these the triphenylmethyl cation is stabilized by delocalization over the three phenyl groups. It is also possible to produce carbenium ions using SUPERACIDS. 

Protonation of Ceo has only been observed by superacids of type HCHB11R5X6 (e.g. X = Cl) (see Section 9.9). The solution C NMR spectrum of [HCeo] shows a single, sharp peak, indicating that the proton migrates over the entire fullerene cage on the NMR timescale. Solid state NMR spectroscopic data (i.e. for a static structure) show that the protonated sp C atom 6 56 ppm) is directly bonded to the sp cationic site 8 182 ppm). 

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