Synthesis of novel carbon/silica composites based strong acid catalyst and its catalytic activities for acetalization

Abstract

Novel solid acid based on carbon/silica composites are synthesized through one-pot hydrothermal carbonization of hydroxyethylsulfonic acid, sucrose and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The novel solid acid owned the acidity of 2$\boldsymbol{\cdot}$0 mmol/g, much higher than that of the traditional solid acids such as Nafion and Amberlyst-15 (0$\boldsymbol{\cdot}$8 mmol/g). The catalytic activities of the solid acid are investigated through acetalization. The results showed that the novel solid acid was very efficient for the reactions. The high acidity and catalytic activities made the novel carbon/silica composites based solid acid hold great potential for the green chemical processes.