Al-doped SBA-15 Catalysts for Low-temperature Dehydration of 1,3-Butanediol into Butadiene

SBA-15 catalysts doped with variable aluminum amounts were prepared through a facile evaporation-induced self-assembly process. The textural properties and acidity of the catalysts could be tuned simply by varying the aluminum content. The genesis of acid sites with weak and medium strength during reaction was directly correlated to the catalytic activity for the dehydration of 1,3-butanediol into butadiene (BD). The best performance was achieved over an Al-SBA-15 sample with a silica/alumina ratio of 76, exhibiting a stable BD yield of 59% at temperatures as low as 200 degrees C.