Solvation and acid strength effects on catalysis by faujasite zeolites

Kinetic, spectroscopic, and chemical titration data indicate that differences in monomolecular isobutane cracking and dehydrogenation and methanol dehydration turnover rates (per H) among FAU zeolites treated thermally with steam (H-USY) and then chemically with ammonium hexafluorosilicate (CDHUSY) predominantly reflect differences in the size and solvating properties of their supercage voids rather than differences in acid strength. The number of protons on a given sample was measured consistently by titrations with Na, with CH3 groups via reactions of dimethyl ether, and with 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine during methanol dehydration catalysis; these titration values were also supported by commensurate changes in acidic OH infrared band areas upon exposure to titrant molecules. The number of protons, taken as the average of the three titration methods, was significantly smaller than the number of framework Al atoms (Alf) obtained from X-ray diffraction and Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on H-USY (0.35 H/Alf) and CD-HUSY (0.69 H/Alf). These data demonstrate that the ubiquitous use of Alf sites as structural proxies for active H sites in zeolites can be imprecise, apparently because distorted Al structures that are not associated with acidic protons are sometimes detected as Alf sites. Monomolecular isobutane cracking and dehydrogenation rate constants, normalized non-rigorously by the number of Alf species, decreased with increasing Na content on both H-USY and CD-HUSY samples and became undetectable at sub-stoichiometric exchange levels (0.32 and 0.72 Na/Alf ratios, respectively), an unexpected finding attributed incorrectly in previous studies to the presence of minority ‘‘super-acidic’’ sites. These rate constants, when normalized rigorously by the number of residual H sites were independent of Na content on both H-USY and CD-HUSY samples, reflecting the stoichiometric replacement of protons that are uniform in reactivity by Na cations. Monomolecular isobutane cracking and dehydrogenation rate constants (per H; 763 K), however, were higher on H-USY than CD-HUSY (by a factor of 1.4). Equilibrium constants for the formation of protonated methanol dimers via adsorption of gaseous methanol onto adsorbed methanol monomers, determined from kinetic studies of methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether (433 K), were also higher on H-USY than CD-HUSY (by a factor of 2.1). These larger constants predominantly reflect stronger dispersive interactions in H-USY, consistent with its smaller supercage voids that result from the occlusion of void space by extraframework Al (Alex) residues. These findings appear to clarify enduring controversies about the mechanistic interpretation of the effects of Na and Alex species on the catalytic reactivity of FAU zeolites. They also illustrate the need to normalize rates by the number of active sites instead of more convenient but less accurate structural proxies for such sites. 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.