High catalytic performance of Zn-Bi/MCM-41 in acetylene hydration to acetaldehyde

A series of Zn-Bi/MCM-41 catalysts were efficiently synthesized for the hydration of acetylene to acetaldehyde. The catalytic performance was examined in a fixed-bed reactor at 240 °C, GHSV(C2H2) = 90 h−1, and n(H2O)/n(C2H2) = 4. It was demonstrated that Zn-4Bi/MCM-41 showed the better catalytic activity with 90% of acetylene conversion and 85% of selectivity to acetaldehyde. The addition of BiCl3 inhibited the loss of zinc species in the reaction, reduced the generation of carbon deposition, and enhanced the dispersion of zinc species. This work could provide new ideas for the development of highly stable catalytic systems for acetylene hydration to acetaldehyde.