Porous silicon nitride as a superbase catalyst

The synthesis of a new mesoporous support based on high surface area silico n nitride and its use as a solid superbase is reported. The 2,3-dimethylbut -1-ene isomerization is used as a test reaction to compare the activity of individual catalysts depending on the synthesis conditions of the support. Various impregnation methods and different metal loadings are studied. In p articular, potassium catalysts, obtained by impregnation from ammoniacal so lution, show high catalytic activity for alkene isomerization. Heat treatme nts of the support at 1273 K and potassium loadings up to 30% are beneficia l for high conversion at low temperature. (C) 2001 Academic Press.