Reduced coke formation during the gas phase oxidative dehydration of glycerol over ferrierite zeolites synthesized in fluoride medium

• Ferrierite zeolites were synthesized using fluoride as mineralizing agent.
• Ferrierite zeolites are promising catalysts for the gas phase glycerol dehydration.
• Ferrierite has favoured high acrolein selectivity and lower coke formation.
• Samples synthesized in F− medium showed better performances than an OH− medium one.
• Zeolites synthesized in fluoride medium were stable in long time runs.

Ferrierite zeolites were synthesized in fluoride medium with SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratios 18, 22 and 37, using n-butylamine and pyridine as structure directing agents. The use of fluoride medium as mineralizing agent resulted in the formation of large crystals with morphology quite different from those obtained in hydroxide medium. These materials were characterized and evaluated in the gas-phase catalytic oxidative dehydration of glycerol at 300 °C, using air as carrier gas. Despite a low density of acid sites, the catalysts synthesized in fluoride medium led to high glycerol conversions and acrolein selectivities. Furthermore, coke formation was lower than that observed over the ferrierite synthesized in hydroxide medium.

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