Influences of Interactive Effect Between ZrO2 and Nano-SiO2 on the Formation of 1,3-Butadiene from Ethanol and Acetaldehyde

This paper has systematically investigated the structures and properties of the ZrO 2 , Nano-SiO 2 and their composition. The catalysts were prepared by impregnation, characterized by N 2 adsorption–desorption, TEM, XRD, Raman, temperature-programmed desorption of NH 3 and CO 2 , FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine and CO 2 , and UV–vis spectra. Compared with dry-mixed samples, these catalysts have larger average pore diameter, enabling ZrO 2 to be dispersed more uniformly on the surface of Nano-SiO 2 . With the Zr–O–Si bonds, ZrO 2 could interact intensely with Nano-SiO 2 . The catalyst prepared shows the best performance, with the selectivity of 93.18% and conversion of 58.52%. The preparation methods have a significant influence on the interaction between ZrO 2 and Nano-SiO 2, which then affects the acid–basic properties. This paper finds that weak acid–basic sites with moderate-intensity are more suitable for ethanol conversion to BD, with the amount of acid and basic sites as close as possible.