S. M. Csicsery, D. A. Hickson
Dec 1, 1970
Citations
0
Influential Citations
26
Citations
Journal
Journal of Catalysis
Abstract
Abstract 1-Methyl-2-ethylbenzene was contacted between 200 and 400 °C with a series of Y-type faujasite molecular sieves exchanged with various cations. The most important reactions are isomerization to 1-methyl-3-ethylbenzene and 1-methyl-4-ethylbenzene, and transethylation forming toluene and methyldiethylbenzenes. The two reactions occur in parallel and are independent of each other. Isomerization has a significantly higher activation energy than transethylation. Relative rates of the two reactions depend on temperature, on the cationic form of the molecular sieve, and on the water content of the reactant mixture. For a given catalyst, the isomerization/ transethylation ratio increases with increasing water content of the reactant mixture. These results suggest either that isomerization is primarily catalyzed by Bronsted acid sites, while transethylation is primarily a Lewis acid catalyzed reaction, or, that transethylation is catalyzed by a Bronsted and Lewis site pair, while isomerization by a single-type Bronsted site.