Ehsan Rahmani - LIA Industrial Park, Behdash Chemical Company, Bouein Zahra Rd, Qazvin-Iran
Mohammad Rahmani - Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran
Marzie Rezaie - LIA Industrial Park, Behdash Chemical Company, Bouein Zahra Rd, Qazvin-Iran
Vahid Ameri Dehabadi - LIA Industrial Park, Behdash Chemical Company, Bouein Zahra Rd, Qazvin-Iran

The solvothermal method was used to synthesize MIL-53(Al) at 120 °C. Synthesized catalysts was characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscope, Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller and NH3-temperature-programmed desorption. Synthesized MIL-53(Al) was used to perform alkylation of benzene with ethanol in a gas phase laboratory reactor. Activity tests revealed that MIL-53(Al) illustrates good performance with 67% conversion of benzene, 98% conversion of ethanol, and 63% selectivity for ethyl benzene at 200 °C. The main byproduct is identified as toluene, and other byproducts are detected in very small amount. The catalyst shows good stability after 14 h time on stream at 200 °C. The high activity and product selectivity of MIL-53(Al) are attributed to proper acidity of catalytic sites.

Al-Based MIL-53, Catalyst, Friedel−Crafts Alkylation of Benzene, Solvothermal method