Synthesis of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol over TPA-SBA-15 catalyst

2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) was produced by alkylation of phenol and tert-butyl alcohol with mesoporous molecular sieves containing tungstophosphoric acid (TPA-SBA-15) as catalysts that were directly synthesized by the sol-gel technique. TPA-SBA-15 exhibits the highest catalytic ability compared with several pure tungstophosphoric acids and the post-synthesized catalysts. Conversion of phenol can reach 99.6%, and selectivity can reach 77%. Effects of operating parameters on alkylation, including reaction temperature, composition of the feedstock, space velocity, and composition of the catalysts, were investigated. The reaction temperature and composition of catalysts and feedstock are the primary contributors to the reaction. Furthermore, the catalyst's (0.88 mol%) stability was also checked, and was shown to be still stable after 160 hours.