Investigating the Sole Olefin-Based Cycle in Small-Cage MCM-35-Catalyzed Methanol-to-Olefins Reactions

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-04, Vol.29 (9), p.2037
• Main Authors: Liu, Zhaohui, Mao, Min, Yangcheng, Ruixue, Lv, Shuang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Hydrocarbons; MCM-35 zeolite; mechanism; Methanol; methanol to olefins; olefin-based cycle; Propagation; Propylene; Raw materials; Zeolites
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules29092037

Small-pore zeolites catalyze the methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction via a dual-cycle mechanism, encompassing both olefin- and aromatic-based cycles. Zeolite topology is crucial in determining both the catalytic pathway and the product selectivity of the MTO reaction. Herein, we investigate the mechanistic influence of MCM-35 zeolite on the MTO process. The structural properties of the as-synthesized MCM-35 catalyst, including its confined cages (6.19 Å), were characterized, confirming them as the catalytic centers. Then, the MTO reactions were systematically performed and investigated over a MCM-35 catalyst. Feeding pure methanol to the reactor yielded minimal MTO activity despite the formation of some aromatic species within the zeolite. The results suggest that the aromatic-based cycle is entirely suppressed in MCM-35, preventing the simultaneous occurrence of the olefin-based cycle. However, cofeeding a small amount of propene in methanol can obviously enhance the methanol conversion under the same studied reaction conditions. Thus, the exclusive operation of the olefin-based cycle in the MTO reaction, independent of the aromatic-based cycle, was demonstrated in MCM-35 zeolite.