Continuous Flow Friedel–Crafts Alkylation Catalyzed by Silica Supported Phosphotungstic Acid: An Environmentally Benign Process

Abstract Six silica-supported phosphotungstic acid catalysts (PTA/SiO 2 ) of different composition (20–70 wt% PTA content) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, BET, BJH, NH 3 -TPD methods, FT-IR spectroscopy adsorbed pyridine 1 H MAS NMR techniques. The new composite were first applied in the Friedel–Crafts alkylation toluene with 1-octene as a benchmark process under batch conditions order to screen their activity recyclability. combined analytical techniques together catalytic studies enabled identification main factors affecting catalysts. Based on these preliminary experiments, best performing catalyst system (50 PTA/SiO was investigated continuous flow mode using an in-house-made reactor. thorough screening reaction (temperature, toluene/1-octene molar ratio rate) provided firm evidence that 50 is highly active, selective stable mild even at elevated rate. Additionally, used could successfully be regenerated reused process.