Catalysis of alkaline-modified mordenite for benzene alkylation of diolefin-containing dodecene for linear alkylbenzene synthesis

For linear alkylbenzene synthesis in using diolefin-containing dodecene, catalytic stability of mordenite is effectively improved after desilication treatment but it is deteriorated after dealumination treatment or the use of metal/mordenite catalysts. [Display omitted] ► Desilicated mordenite stably catalyzes LAB synthesis in diolefin containing feed. ► 2-Phenyl dodecane isomer yield up to 78%. ► Mesopore improves stability by selecting parent sample and desilication protocol. ► Desilicated mordenite as a simple and cost-effective LAB catalyst. To improve the stability of the modified mordenite for resolving catalyst deactivation problem in the linear alkylbenzene (LAB) synthesis, the desilication treatment was found to be more effective than other approaches such as dealumination or metal/zeolite. The improved stability of the desilicated mordenite can be attributed to the enhanced diffusivity of oligomer by-products and coke precursors due to the enlarged mesopore size of the mordenite. In addition, 2-phenyl LAB isomer selectivity can be tuned by modification of the microporous structure of mordenite. The desilicated mordenite showed unprecedented stability and the 2-pheny LAB isomer yield up to 78% even if the octadiene-containing dodecene feed was used.