Preparation of Mesoporous SiO 2-Pillared Lamellar Titanoniobate Catalysts for Bioethanol Dehydration

The lamellar perovskite K0,8Ti0,8Nb1,2O5 was prepared by solid state reaction, and its protonic form was used in a sequence of intercalation steps with n-butylamine, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr), and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). After calcination, a high surface area, mesoporous SiO2-pillared titanoniobate, was obtained. The samples were characterized by XRD, EDX, TG-DTG, N2 adsorption isotherms, and NH3-TPD. The pillarization procedure affected the textural properties, the amount, and strength distribution of acid sites. The influence of the pillarization procedure on the catalytic properties of the lamellar titanoniobates was investigated on ethanol dehydration. High ethanol conversions and ethylene yields (>90%) were obtained in the presence of the SiO2-pillared titanoniobate catalyst, at 350–450°C.