Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

Swarom Kanitkar

James J Spivey

Kunlun Ding

Methods of preparing an acidic catalyst are disclosed that include heating a metal halide to produce a vapor phase metal halide, contacting an initial support material with the vapor phase metal halide in a reaction vessel causing a first chemical reaction and producing an intermediate acidic catalyst, contacting the intermediate acidic catalyst with HBr causing a second chemical reaction and producing an acidic catalyst product which is both more acidic than the intermediate acidic catalyst and more acidic than the initial support material.

Acidic catalyst

Catalysts are disclosed having metal oxide support structures and acidic reaction sites. Those reaction sites may have multiple bromine atoms bound to an aluminum atom with that aluminum-bromine group having an associated hydrogen ion. Additional structural features of the reaction sites are dictated by the aluminum oxide based catalysts and a silicon oxide based catalyst selected.

Catalysts are disclosed having metal oxide support structures and acidic reaction sites. The reaction sites may be according to the general formula MOAlBrX]Hwhere x is one or two; y is one or two; z is one or two; X is selected from Br or Cl; M is Al or Si and one or more of M, O and Al has a molecular bond with the metal oxide support structure.

Growing community of inventors

Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

Swarom Kanitkar