Preparation and characterization of the SBA-8-SO3H mesoporous molecular sieve functionalized with sulfonic acid in the synthesis of n-butyl propionate

The mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-8-SO 3 H functionalized with sulfonic acid was prepared by hydrothermal and impregnation methods. The results from structure characterization showed that SBA-8-SO 3 H retained the mesoporous structure of SBA-8, the BET specific surface area of SBA-8-SO 3 H was as high as 925 m 2 g −1 , and there were Brønsted acid sites on the surface of SBA-8-SO 3 H. The esterification reaction of propionic acid with n-butyl alcohol was used to characterize the catalytic activity of SBA-8-SO 3 H. The optimal calcination temperature was found to be 450 °C. The catalyst retained its high activity after being reused for six times. Moreover, the kinetic equations for the esterification reaction herein were also established and utilized to demonstrate the catalytic properties in theory.