Conversion of butanol to propene in flow: A triple dehydration, isomerisation and metathesis cascade

Shi, Yiping; Weller, Andrew S.; Blacker, A. John; Dyer, Philip W.

Abstract

A combined three-step flow cascade conversion of n-butanol to propene is demonstrated. Zeolite H-ZSM-5 gives high conversion in the initial n-butanol dehydration step (98%). Subsequent isomerisation of terminal butenes to internal butenes over zeolite H-Fer takes place with good conversion (87%). Finally, cross-metathesis with ethene over a tungsten on acid-washed SiO2/Al2O3 catalyst affords propene with good selectivity (65%). Coupling these three steps into a single flow sheet gives an overall yield of 64% propene from n-BuOH. Ethene cross-metathesis catalyst performance was probed using 2-pentene as a model co-substrate giving good conversion (~90%) and moderate selectivity to butenes (67%).

Citation

Shi, Y., Weller, A. S., Blacker, A. J., & Dyer, P. W. (2022). Conversion of butanol to propene in flow: A triple dehydration, isomerisation and metathesis cascade. Catalysis Communications, 164, Article 106421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catcom.2022.106421

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 27, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jan 31, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Deposit Date: Feb 3, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 23, 2022
• Journal: Catalysis Communications
• Print ISSN: 1566-7367
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 164
• Article Number: 106421
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catcom.2022.106421
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1216233