No abstract

Publication informationCatalysis Today, 175 (1): 471-476Publisher Elsevier Item record/more information http://hdl.handle.net/10197/3975 Publisher's statementThis is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Catalysis Today. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Catalysis Today, 175, (1) AbstractThis work has studied a range of acidic catalysts which have been prepared through the modification of mesoporous silica materials. Specifically we have prepared -SO 3 H modified materials (in the presence and absence of a hydrophobic component) and -COOH and -CN materials. We have characterized these catalysts using TEM, TGA, TPD of probe molecules and IR and we have analysed their activity in the esterification of octanoic acid and the transesterification of triacetin. Activity in the esterification reaction (in which all catalysts are active) is not determined by the acid site concentration of the catalyst while the activity of active catalysts in the transesterification reaction (in which only -SO 3 H materials are active) appears related to acid site concentration.

Two Al 2 O 3 -supported alkaline earth metal oxide catalysts (MgO and BaO) were contacted with valeric acid at 250 °C. Each formed amounts of 5-nonanone (BaO more than MgO). A significant deposition of hydrocarbonaceous material onto the catalyst surface is noted. This adsorbed material is characterised using TGA and FTIR and relates to a carboxylate species.

The preparation of supported and unsupported group II oxide catalysts through oxidation of analogous group II acetates (Mg, Ca and Ba) in the presence and absence of a mesoporous silica material (SBA-15) was analysed using TGA. In the absence of the mesoporous support the acetates oxidised at different temperatures with a stability trend whereby Mg