Study on the Isomerization Reaction of Tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene, Tetrahydrodi(methylcyclopentadiene) Using Heteropolyacid Catalyst

The study on the isomerization reaction of endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene and endo-tetrahydrodi(methylcyclopentadiene) using heteropolyacid catalyst was carried out. Exo compound was prepared from endo compound through isomerization reaction. To improve the problem of aluminum chloride as an isomerization catalyst, application of heteropolyacid was attempted. In use of Keggin type heteropolyacid, catalytic activity was extremely high at cesium substitution instead of 2.5 hydrogen atoms of H3PW12O40. Using the cesium substituted heteropolyacid, isomerization reaction rate was faster than aluminum chloride and the effect of reaction temperature and times on reactivities were compared in isomerization of tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene and tetrahydrodi(methylcyclopentadiene). Keywords: tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene; tetrahydrodi(methylcyclopentadiene); isomerization; heteropolyacid