Influence of the Synthesis Protocol on the Catalytic Performance of PHI-Type Zeolites for the Dehydration of Lactic Acid

Acrylic acid is an important basic chemical and a key starting compound for variety of consumer products. Today, acrylic still produced from fossil-based propene. If were bio-based lactic acid, this would be step towards sustainability. The gas-phase dehydration reaction to was performed over eight-membered ring PHI-type zeolites in the Na+ K+-form. A few variations synthesis procedure zeolite made big difference performance during catalytic due differences physical properties, especially accessibility pores. catalysts characterized with ICP-OES, XRD, CO2 physisorption, SEM 27Al MAS NMR. calcination resulted partial collapse PHI structure. In case Na,K-PHI low surface area, catalysis tends take place on outer surface, while high area can also within pore system. This has considerable influence selectivity catalysts.