Ni-exchanged AlSBA-15 mesoporous materials as outstanding catalysts for ethylene oligomerization

Ni-exchanged mesoporous materials with SBA-15 topology were prepared by post-synthesis alumination of SBA-15 silica with sodium aluminate at room temperature, followed by ion exchange with nickel. Exploration of various parameters resulted in a simple preparation method for catalysts with perfect pore system and aluminium tetrahedrally coordinated in the silica framework for Si/Al > 6. These properties were proved by using appropriate characterisation techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction, N-2 sorption, TEM, and Al-27 MAS NMR. Ni-AlSBA-15 exhibited outstanding catalytic properties in the oligomerization reaction of ethylene performed at 150 C-a similar to and 3.5 MPa. Activity up to 175 g of oligomers per gram of catalyst per hour was the highest reported to date with Ni-based solid catalysts.