Unravelling mass transport in hierarchically porous catalysts

摘要: Bio-derived platform chemicals and fuels are important for the development of sustainable manufacturing. However, their efficient production from biomass necessitates new catalysts processes optimised selective transformation large molecules. Mesoporous hierarchically porous functional materials promising catalyst candidates valorisation, but quantitative relationships between pore dimensions/connectivity, mass transport, corresponding catalytic performance poorly defined. A family hierarchical macroporous–mesoporous SBA-15 sulfonic acids were prepared with tunable macropore diameters carboxylic acid esterification. Turnover frequencies long-chain (palmitic erucic) proportional to diameter (≤370 nm), whereas propanoic esterification was independent size. Pulsed field gradient NMR diffusion experiments reveal that larger macropores enhance bulky by conferring superior interconnectivity associated transport.