Vapour phase alkylation of phenol with t-butyl alcohol (2-methyl-2-propanol
) was carried out over mesoporous H-AlMCM-41 in the temperature range 448-4
98 K. In this reaction, p-t-butyl phenol was obtained as a major product wi
th high selectivity. While the phenol conversion increases with a decrease
in phenol-to-t-butyl. alcohol ratio, the catalytic activity decreases with
time-on-stream due to deactivation of the catalyst. At higher temperatures,
both the ortho- and para-isomers, viz., o-t-butyl phenol and p-t-butyl phe
nol, undergoes isomerization leading to m-t-butyl phenol. (C) 2000 Elsevier
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