The comparison of two classes of bifunctional SBA-15 supported platinum-heteropolyacid catalysts for the isomerization of n-hexaneElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: XRD patterns before and after catalysis, nitrogen sorptions, FT-IR spectra, HRTEM images and evolution of C6 products as a function of temperature and flow rate. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nj00453e

• Main Authors: Pinto, Teresa, Arquillière, Philippe, Niccolai, Gerald P, Lefebvre, Frédéric, Dufaud, Véronique
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1144-0546; 1369-9261
• DOI: 10.1039/c5nj00453e

Mono- and bifunctional catalysts composed of silicotungstic acid (H 4 SiW 12 O 40 ) and/or platinum nanoparticles supported on SBA-15 mesostructured silica were comparatively tested for the isomerization of n -hexane. Monofunctional catalysts were produced by impregnating the SBA-15 support with either H 4 SiW 12 O 40 or the platinum particle precursor, H 2 PtCl 6 . In the bifunctional catalysts, both metallic and acidic functions were combined either by mechanically mixing the monofunctional solids yielding a multiphase bifunctional material ( HSiW/SBA-15 + Pt/SBA-15 ), or by dual impregnation of H 4 SiW 12 O 40 and Pt within a single material leading to the monophasic bifunctional catalyst, HSiW/Pt/SBA-15 . These hybrid materials, with the exception of the monofunctional platinum catalyst, were all active for the gas-phase isomerization of n -hexane. The two bifunctional catalyst systems showed high activity and selectivity for branched isomers with no catalyst degradation over 3 days of reaction. SBA-15 supported bifunctional acidic HSiW-Pt catalysts proved to be active, stable and highly selective in the isomerization of n -hexane.