In the current study, two series of catalysts were synthesized and characterized by various physicochemical techniques. In the first series of catalysts, a chemical precipitation method was used for loading 1–20 wt. % ZrO₂ on the surface of sugarcane bagasse fly ash (SCBFA) with the goal of finding out the optimal ZrO₂ loading. In the second series, the 20% ZrO₂/SCBFA composition was modified by (1–10 wt. %) SO₄²⁻ by wet impregnation method. The acidity of these catalysts was determined through the dehydration of isopropyl alcohol and the chemisorption of pyridine and 2,6-dimethyl pyridine. The catalytic efficiency for the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether (DME) in a fixed-bed reactor at atmospheric pressure was investigated. A ~ 95% yield toward DME is maximized over the 10% SO₄²⁻/20% ZrO₂/SCBFA catalyst at a reaction temperature of 400°C. Additionally, it maintained nearly the same efficiency over a 90-h period and demonstrated outstanding long-term stability. The specific surface area and the acidity are the most important factors responsible for enhancing the catalytic performance in this reaction. Our study reflects that SCBFA-supported zirconia and that modified with SO₄²⁻ are low-cost, effective, eco-friendly, and recyclable catalysts that are highly suited to apply for production of DME from methanol.

中文翻译：

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氧化锆-甘蔗渣飞灰作为新型固体酸纳米催化剂用于甲醇选择性脱水制二甲醚

在当前的研究中，通过各种物理化学技术合成并表征了两个系列的催化剂。在第一系列催化剂中，采用化学沉淀法负载1-20重量％的催化剂。甘蔗渣粉煤灰 (SCBFA) 表面的% ZrO _{2 ，​​目的是找出最佳的 ZrO 2}负载量。在第二个系列中，通过湿浸渍法用（1-10 wt.%）SO ₄ ^{2−对 20% ZrO} ₂ /SCBFA 组合物进行改性。这些催化剂的酸性通过异丙醇的脱水以及吡啶和2,6-二甲基吡啶的化学吸附来测定。研究了大气压下固定床反应器中甲醇脱水生成二甲醚（DME）的催化效率。在 400°C 的反应温度下，在10% SO ₄ ²⁻ /20% ZrO ₂ /SCBFA 催化剂上，DME 的产率达到约 95% 。此外，它在 90 小时内保持几乎相同的效率，并表现出出色的长期稳定性。比表面积和酸度是提高该反应催化性能的最重要因素。_{我们的研究表明，SCBFA负载的氧化锆和SO 4} ²⁻改性的氧化锆是低成本、有效、环保且可回收的催化剂，非常适合应用于甲醇生产二甲醚。