Preparation of magnetic nanocomposites of solid acid catalysts and their applicability in esterification

Solid acid catalysts are superior to traditional liquid acids because they are noncorrosive, environmentally benign, and recyclable. In addition, nano-magnetic solid acid catalysts are preferable as they exhibit large specific surface areas together with good acidity and are also readily separated from the post-reaction mixture. Three component nano-magnetic solid catalysts TiO2-Al2O3-Fe3O4 and CeO2-Al2O3-Fe3O4 and a four component catalyst ZrO2-Al2O3-CeO2-Fe3O4 were synthesized by a co-precipitation method and were subsequently characterized by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Their catalytic activities were also evaluated in the esterification reaction of acetic acid with n-butanol. The results demonstrated that these rare earth-based magnetic nanocomposites exhibited good catalytic activity.

Graphical AbstractA series of multicomponents nano-magnetic solid catalysts of TiO2-Al2O3-Fe3O4 (TAF), CeO2-Al2O3-Fe3O4 (CAF), and ZrO2-Al2O3-CeO2-Fe3O4 (ZACF) were synthesized by a co-precipitation method. The obtained nano-magnetic catalysts were fully characterized and demonstrated good catalytic activity in the esterification of acetic acid and n-butanol.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide