Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Material for Catalyitic Applications

This PhD project dealt with different topics mainly linked together by fluorinated compounds. The work started from the preparation and characterization of mesoporous materials as support for catalysts for the production of fluorinated monomers of industrial interest. From these monomers, fluorinated polymers are obtained through industrial processes, with all their interesting properties, due to the presence of fluorine, such as thermal and chemical stability, flame resistance. This particular family of polymer find many applications, but their use as catalyst in gas-phase reactions is still poorly investigated. Indeed, the research work was focused also on the use of fluorinated polymers, in particular perfluorosulfonic superacid resins, as catalyst in gas-phase reactions. Consequently, this work can be divided in three main sections. Section 1: preparation and characterization of PdCu/MCM-41 catalysts for hydrodechlorination (HDC) reaction of chlorofluorocarbons compounds with the aim to obtain fluorinated monomers. In previous works, has been demonstrated that microporous texture of activated carbon used as support, significantly limited possible application of this catalytic system, because of reduced mass transfer. Support with larger pores, as mesoporous silicate materials (such as MCM-41) can overcame these drawbacks. Section 2: The competences achieved during the first part of the work were exploited for the synthesis and characterization of mesoporous carbon material, always with the aim to solve the problems related to microporous features of active carbon based material. This part of the work is strongly linked with the previous section due to mesoporous features. Section 3: Study of Aquivion® PFSA, a perfluorosulfonic resin produced by Solvay Specialty Polymers, as catalyst in gas-phase dehydration reaction. The application of this particular polymer, with an acidity close to that of 100% sulfuric acid, as catalyst in gas-phase reaction has never been explored before. Here Aquivion material was used as catalyst for gas-phase dehydration of ethanol to ethylene.