Coking on micrometer- and nanometer-sized mordenite during dimethyl ether carbonylation to methyl acetate

As compared to conventional micrometer-sized mordenite particles, nanometer-sized mordenite gave a much higher activity and better stability in dimethyl ether carbonylation to methyl acetate by suppressing the deposition of hard coke. A structural analysis revealed that intra-crystalline diffusion limitation of the reactants and products to and from the active sites inside the channels was greatly decreased by reducing the zeolite size to the nanometer size. (C) 2013, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.