Friedel Craft’s alkylation of benzene to cumene over doped cobalt nanoferrite catalysts

Abstract

Nitrogen, sulphur and zirconium doped cobalt ferrites prepared by coprecipitation method were evaluated as catalysts for the production of cumene from benzene and isopropyl alcohol. The catalytic efficiency of cobalt ferrite towards the reaction increased due to the doping by zirconium and non-metals. The isopropylation activity is decidedly dependent on the number and strength of active surface sites that in turn depends on the nature and concentration of dopant. Reaction variables like temperature, reactant ratio and catalyst load affected the reaction rate considerably. On successive uses, the catalysts were found to be magnetically recoverable and stable.

Keywords

• Cobalt ferrite
• Zr/N/S doping
• Wet impregnation
• Cumene
• Isopropyl alcohol