Novel polymeric acidic ionic liquids as green catalysts for the preparation of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers from the acetalation of methylal with trioxane

A series of micro–mesoporous polymeric acidic ionic liquids (PAILs) have been successfully synthesized and subsequently characterized using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, N(2) adsorption–desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetry. Furthermore, the catalytic performance of the synthesized PAILs was investigated for the acetalation of methylal (DMM(1)) with 1,3,5-trioxane (TOX), micro–mesoporous PAILs copolymerized by divinylbenzene with cations and anions exhibited moderate to excellent catalytic activities for the acetalation. In particular, VIMBs–AMPs–DVB, with higher specific surface area (25.51 m(2) g(−1)) and total pore volume (0.15 cm(3) g(−1)) displayed an elevated conversion of formaldehyde (82.2%) and selectivity for polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (CH(3)O(CH(2)O)(n)CH(3); PODE(n) or DMM(n)) n = 3–8 (52.6%) at 130 °C, 3.0 MPa for 8 h. Moreover, the influence of various reaction parameters was investigated by employing VIMBs–AMPs–DVB as the catalyst and it demonstrated high thermal stability and easy recovery.