Ternary Ag/MgO‐SiO2 Catalysts for the Conversion of Ethanol into Butadiene

Abstract Ternary Ag/Magnesia‐silica catalysts were tested in the direct synthesis of 1,3‐butadiene from ethanol. The influence of the silver content and the type of silica source on catalytic performance has been studied. Prepared catalysts were characterized by 29 Si NMR, N 2 sorption, small‐angle X‐ray scattering measurements, XRD, environmental scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (ESEM/EDX), FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine and CO 2 , temperature‐programmed desorption of CO 2 and UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Based on these characterization results, the catalytic performance of the catalysts in the 1,3‐butadiene formation process was interpreted and a tentative model explaining the role of the different catalytically active sites was elaborated. The balance of the active sites is crucial to obtain an active and selective catalyst to form 1,3‐butadiene from ethanol. The optimal silver loading is 1–2 wt % on a MgO‐silica support with a molar Mg/Si ratio of 2. The silver species and basic sites (MgO pairs and basic OH groups) are of prime importance in the 1,3‐butadiene production, catalyzing mainly the ethanol dehydrogenation and the aldol condensation, respectively.