Dealkylation of alkyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon over silica monolayer solid acid catalyst

Dealkylation of alkylnaphthalene, as a model of alkyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in heavy oils, proceeded selectively on a silica monolayer solid acid catalyst. The activity was generated by the deposition of silica on alumina with generation of Brønsted acidity. The activity and Brønsted acid amount showed the maximum where the monolayer covered the surface, indicating that the Brønsted acid site generated on the silica monolayer was the active species. The activity and selectivity on the silica monolayer were high compared to other aluminosilicate catalysts, and high activity was observed even after calcination at 973–1173K.