DRIFT studies for the reaction and adsorption of alcohols and isobutylene on acidic resin catalysts and the mechanism of ETBE and MTBE synthesis

Diffuse reflectance FT-IR spectra of methanol and ethanol on Amberlyst 15 a nd on a synthesized acidic resin catalyst indicate that alcohol molecules a re adsorbed by forming hydrogen bridges with the -SO3H sites of the catalys t and among themselves. Some of the alcohol molecules were found to be stro ngly chemisorbed by dissociation of one or two hydrogen atoms. Isobutylene was also found to be strongly adsorbed by forming a bridged structure betwe en the adsorbed alcohol molecules and the -SO3H groups. DRIFT spectra verif ied the presence of adsorbed ether molecules formed as a result of surface reaction and supported a Langmuir-Hinshelwood-type reaction mechanism.