Dehydration of Long-Chain n-Alcohols to Linear α-Olefins Using Sodium-Modified γ-Al2O3

Linear α-olefins (C8–C12 α-olefin, LAOs) are acknowledged as high-value-added chemicals in both lubricant production and the polyolefin industry. An alternative route to the synthesis of high-purity LAOs is the dehydration of linear long-chain n-alcohols, whereas elevating the activity and selectivity of catalysts remains a challenge. Herein, we presented that on using sodium-modified γ-Al2O3 as the catalyst, a high selectivity (up to 96.87%) to 1-decene was achieved, and an optimized experimental condition (329 °C and 0.25 h–1) was found using the response surface method. Characterization results including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), pyrolysis (Py)-IR, NH3-temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and CO2-TPD showed that a suitable ratio (∼0.4 wt %) of sodium impregnation could inhibit the strong acid sites of the catalyst, and sodium impregnation led to the formation of additional base sites, which accounted for the synergistic effect with other acid sites to promote further conversion of ethers to olefins. This work is of significance for the synthesis of LAOs from long-chain n-alcohols.