Abstract: | The decomposition reaction of p–t-butylcumene and t-butylbromobenzene have been carried out over pyridine poisoned silica-alumina and HY zeolite in order to examine the effect of acid strength on selectivity. Since the catalyst deactivation rate for isomerization over the poisoned silica-alumina was greater than that of de-t-butylation in the reaction of p–t-butylcumene, the selectivity of de-t-butylation gradually improved with process time. In the reaction of t-butylbromobenzene over poisoned HY zeolite, the de-bromination rate was suppressed by the poisoning because the nature of active sites was different between silica-alumina and HY zeolite. The poisoned HY zeolite was found to be favorable for the de-t-butylation of halogenated-t-butylbenzenes. |