title: Study of regioselective dialkylation of naphthalene in the presence of reusable zeolite catalysts.
abstract: Highly regioselective dialkylation of naphthalene using various alkylating agents can be achieved over zeolite catalysts. For example, the tert-butylation of naphthalene (1) using tert-butanol in cyclohexane over a dealuminated H-Mordenite (HM) zeolite has been optimised to give a 60% yield of 2.6-di-tert-butylnaphthalene (3) with a 2.6/2.7 ratio of over 50. This has been achieved by varying the reaction time, temperature, solvent, pressure, amount of tert-butanol, solvent and catalyst, Si/Al ratio of the catalyst, and the mode of addition. The zeolites can be easily regenerated by heating and reused.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clean Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK SA2 8PP.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Gamal A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: el-Hiti