Superparamagnetic Supported Catalyst H3PW12O40/γ-Fe2O3 for Alkylation of Thiophene with Olefine

The alkylation of sulfur compounds with olefine is considered to be an attractive way to attain high level of sulfur removal by raising the boiling point of sulfur-containing compounds to ease their separation from light fractions by distillation. A series of superparamagnetic supported catalysts, used for alkylation of thiophene with 1-octene, were prepared by loading H3PW12O40 (HPW) onto commercially available nanoparticles γ-Fe2O3 through incipient wet impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TG), N2-adsorption and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The physicochemical characterization reveals that γ-Fe2O3 could be accommodated to immobilize and disperse HPW. Moreover, possessing high magnetization of 26.1 A·m2·kg−1 and with mesoporous structure with specific surface area of 35.9 m2·g−1, the 40% (by mass) HPW loading catalyst is considered the proper catalyst for olefinic alkylation of thiophenic sulfur (OATS) and can be separated in an external magnetic field. The catalytic activity was investigated in the alkylation reaction of thiophene with 1-octene, and the conversion of thiophene is up to 46% at 160 °C in 3 h. The 40% (by mass) HPW/γ-Fe2O3 catalyst can be reused 6 times without too much loss of activity and keeps its property of superparamagnetism.