A highly effective Pt and H3PW12O40 modified zirconium oxide metal-acid bifunctional catalyst for skeletal isomerization: Preparation, characterization and catalytic behavior study

A series of metal–acid bifunctional catalysts with varying quantities of platinum and tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) supported on zirconium oxide were prepared by co-impregnation method. In skeletal isomerization of n-pentane using catalyst with 1% Pt and 30% TPA loadings the conversion of the reactant which was close to the equilibrium conversion reached ca. 65% and the selectivity towards the product was as high as ca. 97% at atmospheric pressure and relatively low reaction temperature (200 C). The phase structure, chemical structure, surface physicochemical properties, surface element oxidation states and hydrogen reduction behavior of the catalysts were wellcharacterized via XRD, FT-IR, N2 adsorption–desorption determination (BET), XPS and TPR. The effects of Pt and TPA loadings, calcination temperature, reaction temperature and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) on the catalytic performance were investigated. In addition, a long period catalytic stability test of the catalyst with optimal Pt and TPA loadings was carried out, which indicated that the bifunctional catalyst was in possession of good stability in skeletal isomerization along with high catalytic activity under the experimental conditions.