Abstract
Different samples of metal-incorporated MCM-41 were prepared and used as catalysts in Friedel-Craft's benzylation of benzene. The catalytic performance was evaluated by off-line GC analysis. Fe-MCM-41 exhibited excellent activity, the sample with Si/Fe ratio = 10 showed 90% conversion with 95% selectivity towards diphenylmethane within a few minutes. Generally, the activity per Fe-site was an order of magnitude higher for the samples containing a combination of Fe2O3 nano-particles and isolated Fe3+ sites. A synergy of two catalytic centers (particles and isolated sites) is proposed to explain the high performance of the highly loaded samples. The catalytic performance of Fe-MCM-41 was superior to other metal-containing MCM-41 (e.g. Ga, Sn, and Ti) catalysts, or other Fe-containing mesoporous materials (e.g. Fe-HMS).