The CrOx/SiO2/Si(100) catalyst – a surface science approach to supported olefin polymerization catalysis

Depositing catalytically active particles onto flat, thin and oxidic support forms an attractive way to make supported catalyst suitable for surface science characterization. Here we show how this approach has been applied to the Phillips (CrO_x/SiO₂) ethylene polymerization catalyst. The model catalyst shows a respectable polymerization activity after thermal activation in dry air (calcination). Combining the molecular information from X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) we can draw a molecular level of the activated catalyst that features exclusively monochromate species, which are anchored to the silica support via ester bonds with the surface silanol groups. These surface chromates form the active polymerization site upon contact with ethylene. Upon increasing calcination temperature we observe a decrease in chromium coverage as some of the surface chromate desorbs from the silica surface. Nevertheless, we also find an increasing polymerization activity of the model catalyst. We attribute this increase in catalytic activity to the isolation of the supported chromium, which prevents dimerization of the coordinatively unsaturated active site. Diluting the amount of chromium to 200 Cr‐atoms/nm² of silica surface enables the visualisation of polyethylene produced by a single active site.     

Untersuchungen an katalytisch aktiven Oberflächenverbindungen. XI. Einfluß der Topologie der Silanolgruppen auf die Bildung von Vanadiumoxidclustern auf SiO2-Oberflächen

Studies on Catalytically Active Surface Compounds. XI. Influence of the Topology of Silanol Groups on the Formation of Vanadium Oxide Clusters on SiO₂ Surfaces Interaction of VOCl₃ dissolved in CCl₄ with silanol groups of Aerosil gives rise to reaction products, the Cl/V-ratio of which depends on thermal pretreatment of Aerosil and the amount of the vanadium fixed on the surface. Geometrically different arrangements of the silanol groups (centers) show kinetically differing behaviour, thus giving the possibility to establish a mathematic model for the interpretation of experimental data. Quantitative estimation of the population with silanol groups depending on the annealing temperature is achieved and correlated with the existence of two vanadium oxide surface species which differ with respect to their catalytic activity.     

Effect of the Vanadium Content in V2O5/SiO2 Catalysts on Their Activity and Selectivity in the Partial Oxidation of Methane

The effect of the vanadium content on the catalytic characteristics of samples of V₂O₅/SiO₂, prepared by molecular layering, was investigated. It was shown that in the region of relatively small vanadium contents in the catalyst its surface concentration does not affect the selectivity of the process. The obtained relation between the initial selectivity and the relative reactivity of formaldehyde and the surface density of oxide-vanadium groups in the deposited catalyst is discussed.     

Homopolymerization and copolymerization of vinyl chloride over supported metalorganic catalysts

The homopolymerization of vinyl chloride and its copolymerization with ethylene over dibutyl ether–modified SiO₂-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts based on titanium and vanadium chlorides have been studied. The supported metal complexes are sufficiently active in the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Their activity depends on the catalyst composition and conditions of formation of the catalyst on the surface of the support. The chain structure of the resulting polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been studied by NMR spectroscopy. The thermal properties of the synthesized PVC have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The PVC obtained possesses enhanced thermal stability owing to the specific features of its chain structure. Vinyl chloride polymerization over the supported metalorganic catalyst proceeds mainly via a free-radical mechanism. Process conditions have been found for conducting the copolymerization of vinyl chloride with ethylene over supported metal complexes resulting in the formation of true statistical copolymers, which is confirmed by IR and NMR spectroscopy.     

Vanadium Modification Effects on the (SiO2/MgO/MgCl2)•TiClx Ziegler–Natta Polyethylene Catalyst

A novel vanadium‐modified (SiO₂/MgO/MgCl₂)·TiCl_x Ziegler–Natta ethylene polymerization catalyst with much better catalytic performance is successfully developed. The catalyst is prepared by co‐impregnation of aqueous solution of water‐soluble magnesium and vanadium compounds on SiO₂, and a supported thin layer of magnesium and vanadium oxides is formed over the surface of SiO₂ after high temperature calcination in dry air, followed by further reaction with titanium tetrachloride to synthesize the magnesium dichloride carrier in situ and to support the titanium species simultaneously. By characterization of the catalysts and the polymers and investigation of the polymerization behaviors, it is found that compared with the original (SiO₂/MgO/MgCl₂)·TiCl_x ZN catalyst, the introduction of vanadium species induce improved catalytic performance with 27% higher activity, 48% higher hydrogen response, and 60% higher 1‐hexene incorporation ability with better short chain branch distribution.

     

Vanadium-based Ziegler-Natta catalyst supported on MgCl2(THF)2 for ethylene polymerization

A supported magnesium-vanadium-aluminium catalyst was prepared by depositing –with the use of a milling technique–VOCl₃ on the MgCl₂(THF)₂ support and subsequent activation with diethylaluminium chloride. Catalytic activity of the obtained system for ethylene polymerization was evaluated as a function of Mg/V and Al/V ratios as well as catalyst ageing time and polymerization temperature. High concentrations of THF in the catalytic system and considerable excess of an organoaluminium co-catalyst were found to have no deactivating action on vanadium active sites. The catalyst obtained is stable and its activity for ethylene polymerization is high. It yields polyethylene with higher molecular weight and higher melting point than offered by the materials produced with the use of a corresponding unsupported vanadium catalyst or a titanium-based system on the same magnesium support. Kinetic investigations confirmed stability of this catalyst irrespective of its concentration in the polymerization medium or of monomer concentration. Moreover, analysis of the kinetic findings revealed that over 80% of vanadium employed forms active polymerization sites.     

银含量对二氧化硅固载磷钨酸银催化四氢呋喃聚合反应性能的影响

通过共浸渍法合成了一系列担载型杂多酸银盐催化剂Ag_xH_3-xPW/SiO₂ (x=0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0),由于催化剂在极性溶剂中的不溶性, 在合成聚四氢呋喃的反应中显示了高反应活性和稳定性能. Ag离子取代含量和银盐的担载量对催化剂活性会产生显著影响. Ag 离子含量的不同会导致磷钨酸银盐的晶相结构和催化剂的酸性质发生变化. x=2.0 时, 催化剂Ag₂HPW/SiO₂达到最大酸强度和最高催化聚合反应活性. 当银盐Ag₂HPW的担载量为30% (质量分数)时, 催化剂能达到高分散度和高的四氢呋喃聚合反应活性. 与普通二氧化硅担载的磷钨酸催化剂HPW/SiO₂对比, 担载型磷钨酸银盐30%Ag₂HPW/SiO₂拥有优异的重复使用性能, 循环4 次后催化活性只有轻微下降. 通过引入Ag离子合成的新型担载磷钨酸银盐30%Ag₂HPW/SiO₂, 反应稳定性能明显改进, 得到拥有稳定平均分子量的产物聚四氢呋喃.     

Reverse Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of MMA in the Presence of CaCO3/SiO2 Two-Component Composite Particles

Summary: We previously discovered that structurally well-defined polymer/inorganic composite particles, i.e., poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/CaCO₃/SiO₂ three-component composite particles, can be achieved via reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), using 2,2′-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile as initiator and Cu^II bromide as catalyst. In the present study, the influence of the mass ratio of CaCO₃/SiO₂ two-component composite particles to methyl methacrylate (MMA) on the rate and behavior of the polymerization was studied in detail. The results illustrate that increasing the mass ratio of CaCO₃/SiO₂ two-component composite particles will decrease the overall rate of polymerization of MMA under standard reverse ATRP conditions. Thermal properties of the obtained well-defined particles were characterized and determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicate that well-defined PMMA chains grafted on the surface of CaCO₃/SiO₂ particles were only degraded by random chain scission of C C linkages within the PMMA chain, which is different from the degradation of PMMA chains prepared via traditional radical polymerization. This difference is reasonably ascribed to the difference between the end groups of PMMA prepared via reverse ATRP and that via traditional radical polymerization, which has been confirmed by end group analysis measured by ¹H–NMR spectroscopy.     

Crystalline titanium dichloride—an active catalyst in ethylene polymerization. I. Catalyst activation

Crystalline titanium dichloride, in the absence of organometallic cocatalyst, is a very poor catalyst for the polymerization of ethylene. It is transformed into a very active catalyst through mechanical activation (ball-milling). This catalyst is active in the absence not only of organometallic cocatalysts, but also metals and compounds (such as aluminium and AlCl₃) capable of forming organometallic compounds in situ (i.e., with ethylene, before polymerization starts). Ball-milling causes not only the expected increase in surface area but also disproportionation of Ti⁺⁺ to Ti⁺⁺⁺ and metallic titanium, as well as a crystal phase change to a structure not previously identified with those of TiCl₂ or TiCl₃. Catalyst activity (polymerization rate) is shown to be proportional to surface area and a direct function of Ti⁺⁺ content of the catalyst; an empirical equation relates catalyst activity to surface area and to Ti⁺⁺ lost through disproportionation. Titanium trichloride was found to be inactive in the absence of organometallic cocatalyst, even after ball-milling. The difference in structure of the catalytically active species in the conventional Ziegler (organometallic cocatalyst) and in the titanium dichloride catalyst are discussed. The mechanism of polymerization is compared with that of the supported (CrO₃ on SiO₂/Al₂O₃ and MoO₃ on Al₂O₃) catalyst systems.     

Polymerization of ethylene at high temperature by vanadium-based heterogeneous Ziegler–Natta catalysts. I. Study of the deactivation process

Kinetics of the polymerization of ethylene initiated by heterogeneous vanadium-based Ziegler-Natta catalysts (VCI₃-1/3 AICI₃) have been studied at high temperature (160°C, 5 bars) and compared with a titanium-based system. For the V catalyst, the dependence of the polymerization activity versus time, with the nature and the concentration of the associated aluminum alkyl, has been investigated. Kinetic results have also been correlated with the oxidation state of vanadium in the polymerization conditions. Despite the relatively high initial activity a low productivity is obtained; it can be attributed to a very fast deactivation of the active sites due to the reduction of vanadium III into vanadium II. The effect of the nature of the alkyl aluminum component of the catalytic system on the reduction process is shown. A kinetic model for the polymerization is proposed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Vanadium complex with tetradentate [O,N,N,O] ligand supported on magnesium type carrier for ethylene homopolymerization and copolymerization

Immobilization of 1,2‐cyclohexylenebis(5‐chlorosalicylideneiminato)vanadium dichloride on the magnesium support obtained in the reaction of MgCl₂·3.4EtOH with Et₂AlCl gives a highly active precursor for ethylene homopolymerization and its copolymerization with 1‐octene. This catalyst exhibits the highest activity in conjunction with MAO, but it is also highly active with AlMe₃ as a cocatalyst. On the other hand, when combined with chlorinated alkylaluminum compounds, Et₂AlCl and EtAlCl₂, it gives traces of polyethylene. Moreover, its catalytic activity is strongly affected by the reaction temperature: it increased with rising polymerization temperature from 20 °C to 60 °C. The kinetic curves obtained for the supported vanadium catalyst, in contrast to its titanium analogue, are of decay type, yet the reduction in the polymerization rate is rather moderate in the early stages of polymerization, and then it is relatively very slow. The vanadium catalyst gives copolymers at a lower yield than the titanium one does, but with the significantly higher 1‐octene content. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 471–478, 2010     

Theoretical investigation of novel silsesquioxane-supported Phillips-type catalyst by density functional theory (DFT) method

In spite of great commercial importance of the Phillips CrO_x/SiO₂ catalyst and long term research efforts, the precise physicochemical nature of active sites and polymerization mechanisms still remains unclear. The difficulties in a clear mechanistic understanding of this catalyst mainly come from the complexity of the surface chemistry of the amorphous silica gel support. In this work, novel silsesquioxane-supported Phillips Cr catalysts are utilized as realistic models of the industrial catalyst for theoretical investigation using the density functional theory (DFT) method in order to elucidate the effects of surface chemistry of silica gel in terms of supporting of chromium compounds and fluorination of the silica surface on the catalytic properties of the Phillips catalyst. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects with respect to various electronic properties and thermodynamic characteristics of the model catalysts were achieved. The future prospects of a state-of-the-art catalyst design and mechanistic approaches for the heterogeneous SiO₂-supported Phillips catalyst has been demonstrated. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

51V NMR Study of VOCl3Immobilized on the SiO2and MgCl2Surface

The magnetic shielding tensor and quadrupole interaction parameters, as well as the mutual orientation of tensors for the (SiO)VOCl₂complex obtained by the immobilization of VOCl₃on the SiO₂surface are determined. The state of VOCl₃on the surfaces of MgCl₂and modified SiO₂with all surface OH groups replaced by Cl atoms is studied. To prepare the modified SiO₂, CCl₄and SiCl₄are used as chlorinating agents. The formation of structurally similar pentavalent vanadium complexes on the surface of these supports is shown. A model for the coordination environment of vanadium on the chlorine-containing supports is proposed. The vanadium atom exists in the distorted pentahedral environment and is bound to the support through either two chlorine atoms or chlorine and oxygen atoms. A correlation between the coordination of VOCl₃and catalytic properties of VOCl₃/MgCl₂is assumed.     

Surface acidity of supported vanadia catalysts

The surface acidity of SiO₂, γ-Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ supported vanadia catalysts has been studied by the microcalorimetry and infrared spectroscopy using ammonia as the probe molecule. The acidity in terms of nature, number and strength was correlated with surface structures of vanadia species in the catalysts, characterized by X-ray diffraction and UV-Vis spectroscopy. It was found that the dispersion and surface structure of vanadia species depend on the nature of supports and loading and affect strongly the surface acidity. On SiO₂, vanadium species is usually in the form of polycrystalline V₂O₅ even for the catalyst with low loading (3%) and these V₂O₅ crystallites exhibit similar amount of Brönsted and Lewis acid sites. The 25%V₂O₅/SiO₂ catalyst possesses substantial amount of V₂O₅ crystallites on the surface with the initial heat of 105 kJ mol^-1 and coverage of about 600 mmol g^-1 for ammonia adsorption. Vanadia can be well dispersed on g-Al₂O₃and TiO₂ to form isolated tetrahedral species and polymeric two-dimensional network. Addition of vanadia on γ-Al₂O₃ results in the change of acidity from that associated with g-Al₂O₃ (mainly Lewis sites) to that associated with vanadia (mainly Brönsted sites) and leads to the decreased acid strength. The 3%V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalyst may have the vanadia structure of incomplete polymeric two-dimensional network that possesses the Ti-O-V-OH groups at edges showing strong Brönsted acidity with the initial heat of about 140 kJ mol^-1 for ammonia adsorption. On the other hand, the 10%V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalyst may have well defined polymeric two-dimensional vanadia network, possessing V-O-V-OH groups that exhibit rather weak Brönsted acidity with the heat of 90 kJ mol^-1 for NH₃ adsorption. V₂O₅ crystallites are formed on the 25%V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalyst, which exhibit the acid properties similar to those for 25%V₂O₅ on SiO₂ and γ-Al₂O₃.     

多孔SiO_2·xH_2O负载RuB纳米粒子催化喹啉加氢反应

通过水解,聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)保护,NaOH刻蚀等方法制备了多孔及富含表面羟基的SiO2·xH2O负载的RuB催化剂RuB/SiO2·xH2O,并用X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、傅里叶变换红外(FT-IR)光谱和BET(Brunauer-Emmett-Teller)等手段对该催化剂进行了表征.结果表明该催化剂具有良好的抗中毒能力,在3.0MPa的H2压力和80℃的温和反应条件下,喹啉的转化率高于95%,生成1,2,3,4-四氢喹啉的选择性高于97%.并系统研究了表面羟基和溶剂对催化剂性能的影响,发现以水为溶剂时,RuB/SiO2·xH2O对喹啉加氢反应展示出较高的活性和对1,2,3,4-四氢喹啉较高的选择性,催化剂能够多次循环使用.这一体系的优异催化性能归属于载体表面羟基和水的协同作用.     

烷基膦酸促进负载磷钨酸催化异丁烷/丁烯烷基化反应

异丁烷/丁烯烷基化是生产高辛烷值汽油的重要反应,目前主要采用液体强酸为催化剂,而固体催化剂用于该反应的性能均不理想。我们设计合成出十六烷基膦酸(HDPA)修饰的氧化硅负载型磷钨酸纳米多级结构催化剂(HDPA-HPW/SiO2),其结构与悬铃木果实相似。通过X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、透射电子显微镜镜(TEM)、氮气吸附-脱附、异丁烷吸附-脱附等对该催化剂进行了表征,并使用固定床微型反应器评价了其对异丁烷/丁烯烷基化反应的催化性能。结果表明,HDPA的外围修饰增强了催化剂对烃类反应物的吸附,减少了烯烃聚合副反应和催化剂表面积碳的产生,提高了高辛烷值产物的选择性,延长了催化剂的寿命。     

Characterization of Ziegler–Natta catalyst by ESCA

The surface composition of TiCl₃-based Ziegler—Natta catalysts prepared by various methods was analyzed by ESCA to correlate the total amount of surface titanium with the catalyst activity in propylene polymerization. The ESCA peak ratio (Ti 2P_3/2/Cl 2P) of the catalysts was measured to estimate the surface composition. The titanium index defined as the product of the (Ti/Cl peak ratio and surface area) was closely correlated with the catalyst activity in polymerization. This indicates that surface titanium concentration and surface area determine the catalyst activity. It was also found that removal of surface aluminum and chlorine at the catalyst preparation stage results in concentration of titanium at the surface and an increase in surface area.     

Characterization of the Effects of Vanadium Traps in Cracking Catalysts by Imaging Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and Microactivity Test

The vanadium trapping effect of Mg and La containing additives in cracking catalyst contaminated with 2300 ppm Ni and 4700 ppm V has been analyzed by microactivity test (MAT) and imaging secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The results of SIMS imaging are consistent with cracking activity data and show that the La/spinel is a superior vanadium trap for the fluid catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons (FCC) operation. La/spinel serves as a dual function additive for both vanadium trap and SO_x removal. The optimum amount of La/spinel added to the cracking catalyst is about 15% by weight. This results in an increased catalytic activity, an increase in gasoline yield, and a decrease in coke and gas factors. The MgAl₂O₄ phase of Mg/Al₂O₃ additive is found capable of trapping vanadium while its MgO of Mg/Al₂O₃ phase can migrate to zeolite particles (the active component of the FCC catalyst) that, in turn, causes a decline in the activity of that catalyst.     

Influence of Metal-Alkyls on Early-Stage Ethylene Polymerization over a Cr/SiO2 Phillips Catalyst: A Bulk Characterization and X-ray Chemical Imaging Study

The Cr/SiO₂ Phillips catalyst has taken a central role in ethylene polymerization since its invention in 1953. The uniqueness of this catalyst is related to its ability to produce broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) PE materials as well as that no co-catalysts are required to attain activity. Nonetheless, co-catalysts in the form of metal-alkyls can be added for scavenging poisons, enhancing catalyst activity, reducing the induction period, and tailoring polymer characteristics. The activation mechanism and related polymerization mechanism remain elusive, despite extensive industrial and academic research. Here, we show that by varying the type and amount of metal-alkyl co-catalyst, we can tailor polymer properties around a single Cr/SiO₂ Phillips catalyst formulation. Furthermore, we show that these different polymer properties exist in the early stages of polymerization. We have used conventional polymer characterization techniques, such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ¹³C NMR, for studying the metal-alkyl co-catalyst effect on short-chain branching (SCB), long-chain branching (LCB) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) at the bulk scale. In addition, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) was used as a synchrotron technique to study the PE formation in the early stages: allowing us to investigate the produced type of early-stage PE within one particle cross-section with high energy resolution and nanometer scale spatial resolution.     

Performance of the Cr[CH(SiMe3)2]3/SiO2 catalyst for ethylene polymerization compared with the performance of the Phillips catalyst

The catalysis of a silica‐supported chromium system {Cr[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₃/SiO₂} was compared with a silica‐supported chromium oxide catalyst, the Phillips catalyst (CrO₃/SiO₂). This catalyst was prepared by the calcining of the typical silica support used for the Phillips catalyst at 600 °C and by the support of tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]chromium(III) {Cr[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₃} on the silica. In the slurry‐phase polymerization, this catalyst conducted the polymerization of ethylene at a high activity without organoaluminum compounds as cocatalysts or scavengers. The activity per Cr was about 6–7 times higher than that of the Phillips catalyst. Upon the introduction of hydrogen to the system, the molecular weight of polyethylene did not change with the Phillips catalyst, but it decreased with the Cr[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₃/SiO₂ catalyst. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 413–419, 2003