Carbon nanotubes, silica and titania supported heteropolyacid H3PW12O40 as the catalyst for ethanol conversion

The new catalyst: heteropolyacid H3PW12O40 (HPA) supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for ethanol conversion was compared with silica and titania supported heteropolyacid. The ethanol conversion did not depend on the type of the support up to reaction temperature 403 K while above 423 K ethanol conversion was higher for HPA on CNTs than for unsupported HPA. Generally, the most active catalysts were obtained by using high surface area silica as the support.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (93 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Carbon nanotubes represent an interesting material as mesoporous support. ► Conversion of ethanol on H3PW12O40 supported on carbon nanotubes and oxides was used as the catalytic test reaction. ► Activity of H3PW12O40 on carbon nanotubes was comparable to that heteropolyacid on SiO2 at 460 K.