Alumina/silica aerogel with zinc chloride alkylation catalyst: Influence of supercritical drying conditions and aerogel structure on alkylation catalytic activity

Alumina/silica aerogel with zinc chloride alkylation catalyst, was obtained using one step sol-gel synthesis and subsequent drying with the supercritical carbon dioxide. The high density supercritical carbon dioxide drying conditions resulted in zinc chloride removal from the catalyst surface, surface area and pore volume increase and catalytic activity decrease. The low density supercritical carbon dioxide drying conditions, pore size distribution centred around 6 nm pore radius and high degree of mixed Al-O-Si bonds in the alumina/silica aerogel network, were found to increase the catalytic activity of the obtained aerogel catalysts.