IR observation of adsorption and initial reactions of olefins on Brønsted acid sites of a deuterated ZSM-5

Adsorption of linear olefins (C2−C4) on a deuterated H-ZSM-5 (D-ZSM-5) was studied by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The initial interaction of the olefins with Brønsted acidic OD groups was hydrogen-bonding to form π-complexes at low temperatures. The adsorbed ethene and propene desorbed by heating under evacuation, while various reactions took place for adsorbed 1-butene; double bond migration (DBM) to 2-butene below 230 K followed by dimerization at room temperature. An unusual reaction path was deduced for DBM of 1-butene, where proton transfer from Brønsted acid sites (BAS) to the adsorbed 1-butene was not essential.