Selective Isobutene Oligomerization by Mesoporous MSU-SBEA Catalysts

Hydrolytically stable mesostructured aluminosilicates assembled from protozeolitic precursors are examined as acid catalysts in the isobutene oligomerization reaction. Steady state conversions as high as 80% at 60 degrees C are achieved, depending on the isobutene:butane feed composition and space velocity. Most notably, the product selectivity to dimeric C-8 = and trimeric C-12 = olefins is readily fine-tuned simply by changing the feed composition. Undesirable high molecular weight oligomers are not produced in any case. The superior catalytic performance of the mesostructured aluminosilicates in comparison to commercial USY and BEA zeolites is clearly established. The improvement in catalytic performance is attributed to a combination of textural and acidic properties, as judged by N-2 adsorption and pyridine adsorption studies.