Selective methanethiol-to-olefins conversion over HSSZ-13 zeolite

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Methanol-to-olefins (MTO) is a key industrial process for producing light olefins.
• Understanding alternative feedstock conversions is crucial for sustainable chemical production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate and investigate methanethiol-to-olefins (MtTO) chemistry.
• To elucidate the reaction mechanism and identify intermediates in MtTO over SSZ-13 zeolite.
• To compare MtTO with MTO chemistry for insights into C-C bond formation and catalyst deactivation.

Main Methods:

• Catalytic conversion of methanethiol (CH3SH) over SSZ-13 zeolite.
• Identification of reaction products (ethylene, propylene).
• Analysis of reaction intermediates using Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C NMR) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Successful conversion of methanethiol to ethylene and propylene, analogous to MTO.
• Identification of methylated aromatic species as key intermediates via 13C NMR.
• Evidence supporting a hydrocarbon pool mechanism for MtTO.

Conclusions:

• Methanethiol can serve as a viable precursor for light olefin production.
• The study provides valuable mechanistic insights into C-C bond formation in olefin synthesis.
• Comparative analysis of MtTO and MTO aids in understanding catalyst deactivation pathways.