A Study on the Reaction Pathway for Isomerization of Tetrahydrotricyclopentadiene Using Ionic Liquid Catalyst

Abstract

The kinetic behavior of tetrahydrotricyclopentadiene (THTCPD) isomerization was studied by using two kinds of chloroaluminate ionic liquid (IL) catalyst with different Lewis acidity. THTCPD isomerization pathway was discussed under the different temperature and time as reaction parameters using IL catalysts consisting of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolun chloride (BMIC)/AlCl3 with low acidity and pyridine hydrochloride (PHC)/AlCl3 with high acidity. The conversion of THTCPD isomerization increased with increasing Lewis acidity of IL catalyst. The THTCPD isomerization pathway changed as a function of reaction temperature and catalyst acidity. In the case of BMIC/AlCl3 IL catalyst, THTCPD isomerization pathway was similar to that of using conventional AlCl3 catalyst. However, two different types of additional pathways (endo, exo, endo-NB → exo, exo, endo-NB → exo, exo, exo-NB and endo, exo, endo-NB → exo, exo, endo-NB → exo, exo, exo-CP) were appeared when using PHC/AlCl3 IL catalyst.