Synthesis of Ni/H-Zr-MCM-48 and their isomerization activity of n -heptane

H-Zr-MCM-48 was synthesized by ion exchange from Zr-MCM-48 which was synthesized by hydrothermal method and Ni/H-Zr-MCM-48 was synthesized by impregnation method. MCM-48, Zr-MCM-48 and Ni/H-Zr-MCM-48 were characterized by various physicochemical methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption–desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques and NH3 temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), etc for comparison. XRD, TEM and N2 adsorption–desorption results suggest that Zr-MCM-48 samples still maintained typical cubic mesoporous framework of MCM-48, with slight decrease of specific surface areas and mesopore orders. MCM-48, Zr-MCM-48 and Ni/H-Zr-MCM-48 were also investigated by n-heptane isomerization as a probe reaction. Compared with MCM-48, Zr-MCM-48 and H-Zr-MCM-18, Ni/H-Zr-MCM-48 catalyst exhibited significantly higher selectivity for the formation of isoparaffin, with lower coke deposition and excellent catalyst stability.