Toluene para selectivity

Traditional methods for bromination of toluene with bromine and a catalyst result in relatively low / ara-selectivity. For example, bromine in acetic acid gives rise to approximately a 4 1 mixture of the para- and ort/to-bromotoluenes (ref. 4). The para-selectivity is enhanced in trifluoroacetic acid so that approximately 90 % of the para-isomer is produced, but greater selectivity than this is unusual. 

Our own earlier work on the chlorination of toluene had been subject to similar constraints. In this case, chlorination with ferf-butyl hypochlorite had proved to be advantageous. In the presence of silica gel as catalyst the yield of chlorotoluenes was quantitative but the regioselectivity was more or less statistical (ref. 8). However, the use of proton-exchanged zeolite X allowed the production of chlorotoluenes with a para-selectivity of more than 90 % (Fig. 4) (ref. 9). No HCl is generated in this process since the by-product is tert-butanol, and there is no inhibition of the catalyst. Indeed, the catalyst can be reused if necessary. 

As an example of the selective removal of products, Foley et al. [36] anticipated a selective formation of dimethylamine over a catalyst coated with a carbon molecular sieve layer. Nishiyama et al. [37] demonstrated the concept of the selective removal of products. A silica-alumina catalyst coated with a silicalite membrane was used for disproportionation and alkylation of toluene to produce p-xylene. The product fraction of p-xylene in xylene isomers (para-selectivity) for the silicalite-coated catalyst largely exceeded the equilibrium value of about 22%. 

As illustrated in Figure 10.6, the high para-selectivity in the toluene disproportionation is caused by the selective removal of p-xylene from the silica-alumina particles, which leads to an apparent equilibrium shift between the xylene isomers. 

As described in the previous section, the silica-alumina catalyst covered with the silicalite membrane showed exceUent p-xylene selectivity in disproportionation of toluene [37] at the expense of activity, because the thickness of the sihcahte-1 membrane was large (40 pm), limiting the diffusion of the products. In addition, the catalytic activity of silica-alumina was not so high. To solve these problems, Miyamoto et al. [41 -43] have developed a novel composite zeohte catalyst consisting of a zeolite crystal with an inactive thin layer. In Miyamoto s study [41], a sihcahte-1 layer was grown on proton-exchanged ZSM-5 crystals (silicalite/H-ZSM-5) [42]. The silicalite/H-ZSM-5 catalysts showed excellent para-selectivity of >99.9%, compared to the 63.1% for the uncoated sample, and independent of the toluene conversion. 

The excellent high para-selectivity can be explained by the selective escape of p-xylene from the H-ZSM-5 catalyst and inhibition of isomerization on the external surface of catalysts by silicalite-1 coating. In addition to the high para-selectivity, toluene conversion was still high even after the silicalite-1 coating because the silicalite-1 layers on H-ZSM-5 crystals were very thin. 

Keggin type H3PW)2O40 is a stable, recyclable and effective catalyst for H2S04-free liquid phase nitration of bezene, chlorobenzene and toluene with nitric acid as a nitration agent. Higher para-selectivity of nitrotoluene was obtained, and the result implies that HPA can effectively catalyze the liquid phase nitration of various aromatics as an environmentally friendly nitration process. 

Toluene alkylation with isopropyl alcohol was chosen as the test reaction as we can follow in a detail the effect of zeolite structural parameters on the toluene conversion, selectivity to cymenes, selectivity to para-cymene, and isopropyl/n-propyl ratio. It should be stressed that toluene/isopropyl alcohol molar ratio used in the feed was 9.6, which indicates the theoretical toluene conversion around 10.4 %. As you can see from Fig. 2 conversion of toluene over SSZ-33 after 15 min of T-O-S is 21 %, which is almost two times higher than the theoretical toluene conversion for alkylation reaction. The value of toluene conversion over SSZ-33 is influenced by a high rate of toluene disproportionation. About 50 % of toluene converted is transformed into benzene and xylenes. Toluene conversion over zeolites Beta and SSZ-35 is around 12 %, which is due to a much smaller contribution of toluene disproportionation to the overall toluene conversion. A slight increase in toluene conversion over ZSM-5 zeolite is connected with the fact that desorption and transport of products in toluene alkylation with isopropyl alcohol is the rate controlling step of this reaction [9]... 

Selectivity to p-isopropyl toluene being close to 30 % was achieved with SSZ-33, SSZ-35 and Beta zeolites. This is connected with the 12-MR channels in SSZ-33 and Beta. In the case of SSZ-35 the presence of 18-MR cavities decreased the differences in the rate of transport of individual isopropyl toluene isomers. In contrast, ZSM-5 zeolite behaves as para-selective catalyst in this alkylation reaction, the selectivity to p-isopropyl toluene reached 76 % after 180 min of T-O-S. 

As a result of steric constraints imposed by the channel structure of ZSM-5, new or improved aromatics conversion processes have emerged. They show greater product selectivities and reaction paths that are shifted significantly from those obtained with constraint-free catalysts. In xylene isomerization, a high selectivity for isomerization versus disproportionation is shown to be related to zeolite structure rather than composition. The disproportionation of toluene to benzene and xylene can be directed to produce para-xylene in high selectivity by proper catalyst modification. The para-xylene selectivity can be quantitatively described in terms of three key catalyst properties, i.e., activity, crystal size, and diffusivity, supporting the diffusion model of para-selectivity. 

As is apparent from the previous discussion on toluene disproportionation,the observation of high p-selectivity in STDP requires a dramatic change in selectivity. First, the primary product must be directed to be highly para-selective. Secondly, the subsequent isomerization of the primary p-xylene product must be selectively inhibited ... 

The general characteristics of toluene disproportionation are summarized by the data presented in Figure 8. With standard HZSM-5 catalyst, as indicated by the lowest curve, the xylenes produced contain essentially an equilibrium concentration of the para isomer (24%) and exceed it only slightly at low conversion. The other curves result from a variety of HZSM-5 catalysts modified in different ways and to different degrees. It is apparent that a wide range of para-selectivities can be obtained. At increasing toluene conversions, the para-selectivity decreases for all catalysts. 

In view of the difficulty of measuring the diffusivity of o-xylene at the reaction temperature, 482°c, we have used the diffusivity determined at 120°C. For a series of ZSM-5 catalysts, the two D-values should be proportional to each other. Para-xylene selectivities at constant toluene conversion for catalysts prepared from the same zeolite preparation (constant r) with two different modifiers are shown in Figure 11. The large effect of the modifier on diffusivity, and on para-selectivity, is apparent. 

In the case of toluene alkylation with methanol an opportunity exists for para selectivity. Para-xylene ortho-xylene ratio was 3.1 over MFl and 0.6 over BEA framework types. 

Pig. 4 Dependences of toluene conversion via alkylation by ethylene (1) and para-selectivity of reaction (2) upon radius of cation introduced. 

Alkylation of toluene with methanol, a process of practical importance, was investigated over several acidic clay catalysts.98 Cation-exchanged synthetic saponites201 and fluor-terasilicic mica modified by La3+ ions202 were found to exhibit increased para selectivity compared with H-ZSM-5. 

The zeolite can easily be regenerated by heating. Similar high para selectivity can be achieved in the case of toluene by use of tert-butyl hypobromite as reagent with zeolite HX in a solvent mixture (CCI4 and ether). ZnBr2 supported on mesoporous silica or acid-activated montmorillonite is a fast, effective, reusable catalyst for the para-bromination of alkylbenzenes.257... 

Exclusive ring-nitration occurs with alkylbenzenes. The nitration of toluene in the presence of H-ZSM-5 and molecular oxygen shows a remarkable enhancement of para selectivity (ortho para ratio = 0.08).268 A review is available for the nitration of aromatics by nitrogen oxides on zeolite catalysts.269... 

Figure 5. Highly para-selective chlorination of toluene.

Significant para-selectivities in the chlorination of toluene have been obtained previously... 

Aromatic nitrations performed in the presence of KIO montmori11onite lead to increased para selectivity. With toluene as test molecule, the proportion of para-nitrotoluene reaches 79% when using clay-supported copper(II) nitrate ("claycop") in the presence of acetic anhydride under high dilution conditions in CC1 (ref. 

Acyl chlorides were also tested in acylations promoted by B(OTf)3.231 Acylation of benzene and toluene in competitive reactions (molar ratio = 5 1) with acetyl chloride shows high para selectivity (92-95% with 2.5-7% of meta, kT/kB — 31-73), whereas the para isomer is formed only with 72-75% selectivity (8-10% of meta, k lkK = 78) in benzoylation with benzoyl chloride. Acetylation appears not to be affected by significant isomerization as indicated by isomer distributions and relative reactivity data. 

Lead(IV) trifluoroacetate in TFAH is a very reactive electrophile that is capable of plumbylating less electron-rich arenes. Nonetheless, the use of trifluoroacetate anions in the plumbylation reactions should be avoided, because aryllead(IV) tri-fluoroacetates are unstable compounds that readily decompose to the corresponding aryl trifluoroacetates and biaryls [34—37, 40, 41]. It has been reported [41] that 4-FC6H4ArPb(TFA)3 is reasonably stable and can be isolated from the reaction of Pb(TFA)4/TFAH with fluorobenzene. A mechanistic study [41] indicated an electrophilic substitution path for the plumbylation reaction, which seemed to be substantially more para-selective than mercuration and thallation. For example, the plumbylation of toluene with Pb(OAc)4 in dichloroacetic acid has been reported [41] to occur with >90 % para-selectivity. 

Nitration of monosubstituted aromatics, toluene in particular, has been extensively studied using zeolites in order to direct the reaction towards the formation of the desired para-isomer. Toluene has been nitrated para-selectively with benzoyl nitrate over zeolite catalysts.[14,15] For example, when mordenite is used as a catalyst, MNTs are formed in almost quantitative yields, giving 67 % of the para-isomer in 10 min, but tetrachloromethane is required as solvent. However, the main problems associated with the use of benzoyl nitrate are handling difficulties due to its sensitivity toward decomposition, and the tendency toward detonation upon contact with rough surfaces. Nagy et a/.[19 21] reported the nitration of benzene, chlorobenzene, toluene and o-xylene with benzoyl nitrate in the presence of an amorphous aluminosilicate, as well as with zeolites HY and ZSM-11, in hexane as a... 

Using Menke s conditions, Smith et al.[29,30] have described a method for the nitration of benzene, alkylbenzenes and halogenobenzenes using zeolites with different topologies (HBeta, HY, HZSM-5 and HMordenite) as catalysts and a stoichiometric amount of nitric acid and acetic anhydride. The reactions were carried out without solvent at temperatures between -50 °C and 20 °C. For the nitration of toluene, tridirectional zeolites HBeta and HY were the most active catalysts achieving >99 % conversion in 5 min reaction time. However, HY exhibited selectivity to the p-nitrotoluene very similar to the homogeneous phase, while with HBeta, selectivities to p-nitrotoluene higher than 70% could be achieved. HBeta zeolite exhibited excellent para-selectivity for the nitration of the different monosubstituted aromatics (Table 5.1). The catalyst can be recycled and the only by-product, acetic acid, can be separated by vacuum distillation. 

Vassena et a/. 33 M studied the nitration of toluene and nitrotoluene using different solid acid catalysts (Deloxan, HBeta, ZSM-5 and Mordenite) and nitric acid in acetic anhydride. Increased para- selectivity was also observed with zeolite HBeta both for the nitration of toluene and nitrotoluene. 

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