Dehydration of 1-propanol using H3PW12O40 as catalyst

The activation of H3PW12O40 under different thermal conditions has been eva luated by calorimetry in acetonitrile solution using pyridine as a probe, a nd the results correlated to the dehydration of 1-propanol. Treatments at 2 00, 300, and 400 degreesC show substantial changes in the catalytic activit y of 12-tungstophosphoric acid as a function of activation temperature and time. Analysis of the samples by XRD, FTIR, TGA and DSC was performed to de termine structural changes and thermal stability of the heteropolytungstic acid.