Nanosulfated Silica as a Potential Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of Nitrobenzene

In this study, the synthesis of nitrobenzene was carried out using sulfated silica catalyst. The study delved into H₂SO₄/SiO₂ as a solid acid catalyst and the effect of its weight variation, as well as the use of a microwave batch reactor in the synthesis of nitrobenzene. SiO₂ was prepared using the sol-gel method from TEOS precursor. The formed gel was then refluxed with methanol and calcined at a temperature of 600 ℃. SiO₂ with a 200-mesh size was impregnated with 98 % H₂SO₄ by mixing for 1 h. The resulting 33 % (w/w) H₂SO₄/SiO₂ catalyst was separated by centrifugation, dried, and calcined at 600 ℃. The catalyst was then used as a solid acid catalyst in the synthesis of nitrobenzene. The weights of catalyst used were 0.5; 1; and 1.5 grams. The synthesis of nitrobenzene was carried out with a 1:3 ratio of benzene to nitric acid in a microwave batch reactor at 60 ℃ for 5 h. The resulting nitrobenzene liquid was analyzed using GC-MS to determine the selectivity of the catalyst. Likewise, the use of a microwave batch reactor was found to be appropriate and successful for the synthesis of nitrobenzene. The thermal energy produced by the microwave batch reactor was efficient enough to be used for the nitration reaction. Reactivity and selectivity tests demonstrated that 1 g of H₂SO₄/SiO₂ could generate an average benzene conversion of 40.33 %.