ZnCl2-modified ion exchange resin as an efficient catalyst for the bisphenol-A production

Abstract A ZnCl2-modified ion exchange resin as the catalyst for bisphenol-A synthesis was prepared by the ion exchange method. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR), thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA) and pyridine adsorbed IR were employed to characterize the catalyst. As a result, the modified catalyst showed high acidity and good thermal stability. Zn2+ coordinated with a sulfonic acid group to form a stable active site, which effectively decreased the deactivation caused by the degradation of sulfonic acid. Thus the prepared catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity, selectivity and stability compared to the unmodified counterpart.