Mesoporous 12-tungstophosphoric acid/activated bentonite catalysts for oxidation of 2-propanol

In the present study, the effect of 12-tungstophosphoric acid (HPW) immobilisation on the catalytic activity of H3PW12O40/mesoporous acid-activated bentonite catalysts (AAB) was investigated. The catalysts were characterised by XRD, IR, SEM and BET, and the activity of acid-activated bentonite catalysts with various loadings of HPW were studied in the conversion of vapour-phase 2-propanol. The results indicated that the conversion of 2-propanol increased substantially as the temperature increased from 343 K to 553 K. Alternatively, the conversion and selectivity of the reaction increased with an increase in the HPW concentration. Moreover, the proposed catalysts enhanced the oxidation of 2-propanol to acetone and suppressed the acid-catalysed dehydration of propanol to propylene.

Research Highlights
► Increase of HPW loadings affects the textural properties of activated bentonite.
► No reflections of the polyacid were detected in the XRD patterns.
► The conversion of 2-propanol was found to increase with increasing temperature.
► The conversion and product selectivity increase with the HPW loading on support.