LAUSR

Abstract Montmorillonites intercalated with silica, silica-alumina, silica-titania and silica-zirconia pillars by surfactant directed method were studied as catalysts for dehydration of methanol and ethanol to dimethyl ether as well as diethyl ether and ethylene, respectively. Moreover, the samples of montmorillonite intercalated with silica pillars were doped with aluminum using template ion-exchange method. In the case of all the samples deposited metal (Al, Ti, Zr) species were present in highly dispersed forms and resulted in generation of acid sites catalytically active in dehydration of methanol and ethanol. The best catalytic results in both studied processes were obtained for the samples doped with aluminum, especially introduced by using template ion-exchange method (first time applied for deposition of metal cations into PCHs), which were more catalytically active in the process of methanol to dimethyl ether conversion than γ-Al2O3 (one of the most important commercial catalysts of this process). High catalytic activity of the aluminum doped samples was related to the nature and strength of acid sites active in the processes of alcohols dehydration.