@article { ISI:000245350600013,
	title = {Butylation of toluene: influence of zeolite structure and acidity on 4-tert-butyltoluene selectivity},
	journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical},
	volume = {265},
	number = {1-2},
	year = {2007},
	month = {MAR},
	pages = {109-116},
	publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV},
	type = {Article},
	address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS},
	abstract = {<p>Vapour phase alkylation of toluene with tert-butyl alcohol was studied over the large pore zeolites H beta, HY and HMCM-22. The influence of the acidity, reaction temperature, run duration, feed rate (WHSV) and molar ratio of the reactants on conversion of toluene and selectivity for 4-tertbutyl toluene was studied. Among the isomers formed during the reaction, the para-isomer was the predominant one, followed by the meta-isomer, while no ortho-isomer was found in the products due to steric factors. 4-tert-Butyl toluene selectivity decreases at higher temperatures, while going through a maximum in the 413-433 K temperature range. Zeolite HY with a high silica to alumina ratio (SiO2/Al2O3 = 80), that has strong acidity, but lower acid site density, possesses high activity for toluene conversion, high alkylation selectivity and also high para-selectivity. The improved para-selectivity of high silica HY zeolite is attributed to the low isomerization activity that results in the suppression of the secondary isomerization of 4-tert-butyl toluene. Both alkylation and selectivity are higher with feed mixtures containing a lower fraction of tert-butyl alcohol. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</p>},
	keywords = {4-t-butyltoluene, Acidity, butylation, large pore zeolites, Toluene},
	issn = {1381-1169},
	doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2006.09.046},
	author = {Pai, Shivanand and Gupta, Upendranath and Chilukuri, Satyanarayana V.}
}
