Dehydration of bioethanol over phosphotungstic acid immobilized onto nanoporous activated carbons: thermodesorption and catalytic studies

Abstract

Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) was immobilized onto the porous structures of three nanoporous activated carbons (NACs), including oxidized, thermally treated, and pristine NACs. The PTA-NAC catalysts with different oxygen-containing functional groups on the carbon surface were obtained. The prepared catalysts can catalyze the reaction of bioethanol dehydration; they stimulate the formation of diethyl ether and ethylene. These catalysts showed high diethyl ether yields of up to 65% and excellent selectivities of up to 93% at 130–160 °С. The conversion of bioethanol to ethylene increased with increasing reaction temperature, and the ethylene yield reached almost 100% with about 100% selectivity at 190–220 °С.

Keywords:

• Carbon surface modification
• Catalytic bioethanol dehydration
• Nanoporous activated carbons
• Phosphotungstic acid
• Surface acidity

Additional information

Funding

V.V.L. acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: Grant 0122U002023. R.M. and V.V.L. thank to the project “University Science Park TECHNICOM for innovation applications supported by knowledge technologies” – Phase II, ITMS 313011D232, supported by the Research & Inovation Operational Programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund.