Advanced Catalysts design for Dimethoxymethane Synthesis by Gas-phase Non-oxidative Dehydrogenation of Methanol

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Regina Palkovits
• Subject Area: Technical Chemistry
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 512546329

Dimethoxymethane (DMM) and its long-chain homologues oxymethylene ethers present potential drop-in diesel additives or alternatives for cleaner combustion. Blending a small fraction of DMM (ca. 15%) into conventional diesel fuels can already enable a significant reduction in soot formation by 80% owing to the special molecular structure featuring high oxygen content and no C-C bond. Conventional DMM synthesis proceeds via methanol oxidation to formaldehyde (FA) followed by condensation of FA with methanol to DMM. Despite the high catalytic performances and process maturity, the major drawback of established routes lies in the loss of valuable H2 as water during methanol oxidation to FA, thus leading to a low utilization efficiency of H2. Recently, we described the non-oxidative production of DMM by gas-phase methanol dehydrogenation over Cu/Hβ catalysts in a fixed-bed continuous flow reactor. The crucial role of Cu oxidation state and the ratio of metal and acid sites could be emphasized but the nature of the active sites as basis for knowledge driven catalyst optimization remained unknown and significant catalyst deactivation occurred. This project aims at gaining insights into the nature of the active sites of Cu/Hβ in the non-oxidative methanol dehydrogenation to DMM and rational optimization of the catalyst. Hence, the study will comprehend a comprehensive characterization of the Cu/dealuminated Hβ catalyst and the design of Sn incorporated Cu/dealuminated Hβ catalysts aiming for enhanced activity and stability during long-term experiments.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants