Xylene disproportionation acid catalyzed

The correlation between selectivity and intracrystalline free space can be readily accounted for in terms of the mechanisms of the reactions involved. The acid-catalyzed xylene isomerization occurs via 1,2-methyl shifts in protonated xylenes (Figure 3). A mechanism via two transalkylation steps as proposed for synthetic faujasite (8) can be ruled out in view of the strictly consecutive nature of the isomerization sequence o m p and the low activity for disproportionation. Disproportionation involves a large diphenylmethane-type intermediate (Figure 4). It is suggested that this intermediate can form readily in the large intracrystalline cavity (diameter. 1.3 nm) of faujasite, but is sterically inhibited in the smaller pores of mordenite and ZSM-4 (d -0.8 nm) and especially of ZSM-5 (d -0.6 nm). Thus, transition state selectivity rather than shape selective diffusion are responsible for the high xylene isomerization selectivity of ZSM-5. 

Figure 4. Acid catalyzed xylene disproportionation mechanism.

Xylene inter-isomerization is a well-known acid catalyzed reaction. Over acid catalysts disproportionation is generally observed as a side reaction. Over the bifunctional catalysts used in the commercial processes xylenes can also undergo two other primary reactions ... 

Cg Aromatic Reactions with Hydrogen. The mild acid nature of the family of aluminophosphate based sieves renders them selective for a number of rearrangements as observed in the reactions of olefins and paraffins described above. This property as well as their apparent low disproportionation activity observed in the alkylation of toluene suggests that they be evaluated as the acid function in bifunctional Cg aromatic isomerization. As described above, cyclo-olefins are most likely involved in the conversion of ethylbenzene to xylenes. Strong acid functions, such as in mordenite, actively isomerize cyclo-olefinic intermediates but also catalyze ring-opening reactions which lead to loss of aromatics. A more selective acid function must still effectively interconvert ethyl cyclohexene to dimethylcyclohexenes but must leave the cyclohexene rings intact. 

Even though the synthesis of many medium pore SAPO molecular sieves are well documented, only SAPO-11 has been studied in detail with respect to its shape selectivity and catalytic activity in acid catalyzed reactions. The reaction of m-xylene on zeolites, besides its industrial importance, is abundantly described in literature not only because it provides information on the geometry of the zeolite channels, but also because it is considered as an appropriate reaction to give information on the acidic properties of solid catalysts. Both isomerization and disproportionation are catalyzed by Bronsted acid sites , the disproportionation reactions requiring stronger acid sites than isomerization reactions. Hence SAPO molecular sieves with medium acidity should give better selectivity for m-xylene isomerization than zeolites. 

Zeolite NU-87, if containing Bronsted-acid sites, is an active catalyst for a large variety of acid catalyzed reactions hke toluene disproportionation, alkylation of benzene with ethylene, amination of methanol to methylamines etc. [51]. Moreover, it was found to possess interesting shape selective properties in the conversion of m-xylene [52] and of polynuclear aromatics, e.g. methylnaphtha-lenes [53]. On non-acidic (i.e. Cs+-exchanged) zeolite NU-87, loaded with small amounts of platinum, n-alkanes like n-hexane or n-octane can be dehydrocycliz-ed in high yields to the corresponding aromatics [54]. 

Migration of Ihe Methyl Groups. Reactions llial involve migration of the methyl groups include isomerization, disproportionation, and dealkylation. The interconversion of the three xylene isomers via isomerization is catalyzed by acids. 

Elements such as B, Ga, P and Ge can substitute for Si and A1 in zeolitic frameworks. In naturally-occurring borosilicates B is usually present in trigonal coordination, but four-coordinated (tetrahedral) B is found in some minerals and in synthetic boro- and boroaluminosilicates. Boron can be incorporated into zeolitic frameworks during synthesis, provided that the concentration of aluminium species, favoured by the solid, is very low. (B,Si)-zeolites cannot be prepared from synthesis mixtures which are rich in aluminium. Protonic forms of borosilicate zeolites are less acidic than their aluminosilicate counterparts (1-4). but are active in catalyzing a variety of organic reactions, such as cracking, isomerization of xylene, dealkylation of arylbenzenes, alkylation and disproportionation of toluene and the conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons (5-11). It is now clear that the catalytic activity of borosilicates is actually due to traces of aluminium in the framework (6). However, controlled substitution of boron allows fine tuning of channel apertures and is useful for shape-selective sorption and catalysis. 

It is generally admitted that skeletal transformations of hydrocarbons are catalyzed by protonic sites only. Indeed good correlations were obtained between the concentration of Bronsted acid sites and the rate of various reactions, e g. cumene dealkylation, xylene isomerization, toluene and ethylbenzene disproportionation and n-hexane cracking10 12 On the other hand, it was never demonstrated that isolated Lewis acid sites could be active for these reactions. However, it is well known that Lewis acid sites located in the vicinity of protonic sites can increase the strength (hence the activity) of these latter sites, this effect being comparable to the one observed in the formation of superacid solutions. Protonic sites are also active for non skeletal transformations of hydrocarbons e g. cis trans and double bond shift isomerization of alkenes and for many transformations of functional compounds e.g. rearrangement of functionalized saturated systems, of arenes, electrophilic substitution of arenes and heteroarenes (alkylation, acylation, nitration, etc ), hydration and dehydration etc. However, many of these transformations are more complex with simultaneously reactions on the acid and on the base sites of the solid... 

Figure 16. Front and side views of the transition states and intermediate for the isomerization reaction via disproportionation reaction pathway of xylene molecules catalyzed by an acidic Mordenite as obtained from the periodic calculations (American Chemical Society,...

Medium pore aluminophosphate based molecular sieves with the -11, -31 and -41 crystal structures are active and selective catalysts for 1-hexene isomerization, hexane dehydrocyclization and Cg aromatic reactions. With olefin feeds, they promote isomerization with little loss to competing hydride transfer and cracking reactions. With Cg aromatics, they effectively catalyze xylene isomerization and ethylbenzene disproportionation at very low xylene loss. As acid components in bifunctional catalysts, they are selective for paraffin and cycloparaffin isomerization with low cracking activity. In these reactions the medium pore aluminophosphate based sieves are generally less active but significantly more selective than the medium pore zeolites. Similarity with medium pore zeolites is displayed by an outstanding resistance to coke induced deactivation and by a variety of shape selective actions in catalysis. The excellent selectivities observed with medium pore aluminophosphate based sieves is attributed to a unique combination of mild acidity and shape selectivity. Selectivity is also enhanced by the presence of transition metal framework constituents such as cobalt and manganese which may exert a chemical influence on reaction intermediates. 

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