Synthesis of poly (γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate) with well‐defined terminal structures and its block polypeptides with alanine,leucine and phenylalanine

The ring‐opening polymerization of γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate N‐carboxyanhydride (BLG‐NCA) was initiated by n‐hexylamine in N,N‐dimethyformamide under normal pressure at 0 °C. The products were characterizated by gel permeation chromatography, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI‐TOF MS), nuclear magnetic resonance etc. MALDI‐TOF MS gave direct evidence that the side reactions during the polymerization of BLG‐NCA could be greatly reduced by decreasing the reaction temperature, e.g. from room temperature to 0 °C. As a result, over 90% of the products were amino‐terminated poly(γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate) (PBLG) with low polydispersity index when the polymerization was carried out at 0 °C, which could be used to re‐initiate the polymerization of other NCAs. Then several well‐defined PBLG‐containing block copolypeptides were successfully synthesized in a convenient way. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

A simple and efficient way to synthesize optically active polyamides by solution polycondensation of di‐O‐methyl‐L‐tartaryl chloride with diamines

A series of optically active polyamides containing di‐O‐methyl‐L ‐tartaryl moieties in the main chain were synthesized by polycondensation of di‐O‐methyl‐L ‐tartaryl chloride 5 with diamines and characterized by gel permeation chromatography, UV–vis, circular dichroism (CD), IR, and NMR spectroscopies. The polycondensation reaction could be carried out under mild conditions and the reaction time was short (2–3 h). The key monomer 5 prepared from L ‐tartaric acid via esterification, etherification, hydrolysis, and chlorination was easily purified by vacuum sublimation. These polyamides with number average molecular weights ranging from 14,000 to 35,000, displayed large optical activity in dimethyl sulfoxide solution, and their specific optical rotations oscillated between 87.2° and 210.7° depending on the structures of the diamines. The glass transition temperatures of these polyamides were in the range of 106–191°C, and the 10% mass loss occurred at temperature above 300°C. The polyamides derived from aromatic diamines exhibited higher T_g and thermal stability than those derived from aliphatic diamines. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Continuous lipase‐catalyzed synthesis of hexyl laurate in a packed‐bed reactor: optimization of the reaction conditions in a solvent‐free system

BACKGROUND: Hexyl laurate has been applied widely in cosmetic industries and is synthesized by chemical methods with problems of cost, environmental pollution, and by‐products. In this study, Lipozyme^® IM77 (from Rhizomucor miehei) was used to catalyze the direct‐esterification of hexanol and lauric acid in a solvent‐free system by utilizing a continuous packed‐bed reactor, wherein the aforementioned difficulties could be overcome. Response surface methodology (RSM) and three‐level‐three‐factor Box‐Behnken design were employed to evaluate the effects of synthesis parameters, such as reaction temperature (45–65 °C), mixture flow rate (0.25–0.75 mL min^?1) and concentration of lauric acid (100–300 mmol L^?1) on the production rate (µmol min^?1) of hexyl laurate by direct esterification. RESULTS: The production rate was affected significantly by the mixture flow rate and lauric acid concentration. On the basis of ridge‐max analysis, the optimum synthesis conditions for hexyl laurate were as follows: 81.58 ± 1.76 µmol min^?1 at 55 °C, 0.5 mL min^?1 flow rate and 0.3 mol L^?1 lauric acid. CONCLUSION: The lipase‐catalyzed synthesis of hexyl laurate by Lipozyme^® IM‐77 in a continuous packed‐bed bioreactor and solvent‐free system was successfully developed; optimization of the reaction parameters was obtained by Box–Behnken design and RSM. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Properties of compression‐molded plates made from wood powders impregnated with liquefied wood‐based novolak‐type phenol‐formaldehyde resins

Novolak‐type phenol‐formaldehyde (PF) resins with solution form were prepared by reacting phenol‐liquefied Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) wood with formalin in the presence of methanol. Wood powders of Albizzia falcate (Malacca albizzia) impregnated with these resins were air dried followed by an oven‐dried at 60°C. DSC analysis showed the PF resin existing in wood powders could be melted, and could be cured if hexamine was mixed and heated at high temperature. Compression‐molded plates made with PF resin impregnated woods had a high degree of curing reaction. However, compression‐molded plates hot‐pressed at 180°C for 8 min or 200°C for 5 min had better internal bonding strength and dimensional stability than others. Premixing hexamine with PF resin and impregnating into wood powders simultaneously could enhance the reactivity of PF resin, but it was not useful for improving the properties of compression‐molded plates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Modelling lipase‐catalysed transesterification of fats containing n‐3 fatty acids monitored by their solid fat content

Transesterification of fat blends rich in n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA), catalysed by a commercial immobilised thermostable lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosa, was carried out batch‐wise. Experiments were performed, following central composite rotatable designs (CCRDs) as a function of reaction time, temperature and media formulation. Mixtures of palm stearin, palm kernel oil and a commercial concentrate of triacylglycerols rich in n‐3 PUFA (“EPAX 2050TG” in CCRD‐1 and “EPAX 4510TG” in CCRD‐2) were used. The time‐course of transesterification was indirectly followed by the solid fat content (SFC) values of the blend at 10 °C, 20 °C, 30 °C and 35 °C. A decrease in all SFC values of the blends at 10 °C, 20 °C, 30 °C and 35°C was observed upon transesterification. The SFC_{10 °C} and SFC_{20 °C} of transesterified blends varied between 18 and 48 and SFC_{35 °C} between 6 and 24. These values fulfil the technological requirements for the production of margarines. Under our conditions, lipid oxidation may be neglected. However, the accumulation up to 8.3% free fatty acids in reaction media is a problem to overcome. The development of response surface models, describing both the final SFC value and the SFC decrease, will allow predicting results for novel proportions of fats and oils and/or a novel combination time‐temperature.     

Preparation and kinetic analysis of PS‐b‐PBA block copolymer by 4‐oxo‐TEMPO capped polystyrene macroinitiators

Polystyrene‐block‐poly(n‐butyl acrylate) block copolymers were prepared from 4‐oxo‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinooxy (4‐oxo‐TEMPO) capped polystyrene macroinitiators at a high temperature, 165°C. It was found that the number‐average molecular weight of PBA chains in block copolymers could reach above 10,000 rapidly at early stage of polymerization with a narrow polydispersity index of 1.2–1.4, but after that, the polymerization seemed to be retarded. Furthermore, according to the kinetic analysis, the concentration of 4‐oxo‐TEMPO was increased mainly by the hydrogen transfer reaction of hydroxylamine (4‐oxo‐TEMPOH) to growing radicals during polymerization. This increase in 4‐oxo‐TEMPO concentration could retard the growth of polymer chains. The rate constant of the hydrogen transfer reaction of 4‐oxo‐TEMPOH to growing radicals, k_H, estimated by the kinetic model is about 9.33 × 10⁴M^‐1s^?1 at 165°C. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Carbon dioxide sorption and diffusion in poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐CO‐3‐hydroxyvalerate)

CO₂ sorption and diffusion in poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) and three poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) copolymers were investigated gravimetrically at temperatures from 25° to 50°C and pressures up to 1 atm. The sorption behavior proved to be linear for all the copolymers studied. An additional set of measurements performed in a pressure decay apparatus at 35°C showed that the linearity could be extrapolated to pressures up to 25 atm. The sorption results obtained from both techniques were in good agreement. The poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) sorption kinetics were increasingly non‐Fickian at the higher temperatures, thus preventing the calculation of diffusion coefficients above 35°C. Interestingly, this was not the case for poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate), and diffusion coefficients and permeabilities could be calculated at all of the investigated temperatures. The 35°C permeabilities were fairly low, which is attributed to the high degree of crystallinity of this polyester family. Finally, the poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) barrier properties against CO₂ are successfully compared with those of some selected common thermoplastics. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 2391–2399, 1999     

Poly(pent‐1‐ene) Synthesized with the Syndiospecific Catalyst i‐Pr(Cp)(9‐Flu)ZrCl2/MAO

1‐Pentene was polymerized with the syndiospecific catalyst system i‐PrC(Cp)(9‐fluorenyl)ZrCl₂/MAO. The molar mass of the resulting polymers depends strongly on the reaction temperature and decreases from M̄_w = 126 000 at 0°C to M̄_w = 46 000 at 100°C, but is more or less independent of the monomer and the MAO concentration. The influence of reaction temperature and concentrations of MAO and monomer on the type of end‐groups generated during the chain termination, as well as on the type of stereoerror, was investigated. The degree of tacticity was dependent on the polymerization temperature with [rrrr] > 0.99 at 0°C and [rrrr] = 0.75 at 100°C.     

A Continuous‐Flow Cascade Reactor System for Subtilisin A‐ Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of N‐tert‐Butyloxycarbonylphenylalanine Ethyl Thioester with Benzylamine

Alcalase® (Subtilisin A) was immobilized by simple hydrophobic adsorption onto various surface‐grafted macroporous silica gels resulting in easy‐to‐prepare and stable biocatalysts enabling the efficient kinetic resolution (KR) and dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of racemic N‐Boc‐phenylalanine ethyl thioester with benzylamine. The immobilized Alcalase biocatalysts, which retained their activity and selectivity when stored at 4 °C for more than a year, were tested in enzymatic aminolysis in batch and continuous‐flow KRs resulting in (S)‐N‐Boc‐phenylalanine benzylamide in high enantiomeric purity. In KR of the racemic thioester by Alcalase‐catalyzed aminolysis in a continuous‐flow reactor, the productivity (specific reaction rate, r_flow) and enantiomeric ratio (E) were studied in the 0–100 °C range. The effect of the temperature on base‐catalyzed racemization of the non‐transformed (R)‐thioester in a continuous‐flow reactor was also investigated in the 0–150 °C range. The continuous‐mode DKR of the racemic thioester in a serial cascade system of six biocatalyst‐filled columns at 50 °C for KR and five grafted silica gel‐filled columns at 150 °C for racemization resulted in the formation of the (S)‐benzylamide in 79% conversion, 8.17 g L ⁻¹ h⁻¹ volumetric productivity and 98% ee. This is the first example of a dynamic kinetic resolution of an amino acid derivative in continuous‐flow mode using an alternating cascade of packed‐bed enzyme reactors and racemization reactors kept at different temperatures.

     

Synthesis and reactive features of a terpolymer: Poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐vinyl acetate‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate)

A polyvinyl pyrrolidone terpolymer system is described that can be chemically cross‐linked at moderate, 70–100°C, temperatures. The system has significant potential for development of durable long‐lasting pyrrolidone coatings in a wide range of applications, particularly in water filtration membrane construction where leaching is an unresolved, serious problem. The synthesis of the terpolymer, poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐vinyl acetate‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate), by free radical polymerization is described. The reactive features of this terpolymer are presented in the context of acidic anhydride curing. In a polar aprotic solvent, the terpolymer is reacted with poly(methyl vinyl ether‐co‐maleic acid) and cured thermally. Key aspects of the terpolymer synthesis and the acid anhydride cross‐linking reaction using DSC, rheology, FTIR, and a small molecule model system to study the cross‐linking chemistry are presented. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Structure and properties of bio‐based polyamide 109 treated with superheated water

The structure and properties of bio‐based polyamide 109 (PA109) after treatment with superheated water (140 °C ≤ T ≤ 280 °C) were investigated and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and small‐angle X‐ray scattering. Below 170 °C, the hydrothermal treatment was considered to be a physical process, which exerted an annealing effect on PA109. It led to an increase in melting temperature, lamellar thickness and crystallinity, while the macromolecular structure, crystal structure and the order of crystalline regions were not affected. Above 170 °C, complete melting/dissolution of PA109 occurred with partial hydrolysis. Due to the high temperature and long reaction time, the hydrolysis reaction became more and more prominent, and the resin was completely hydrolyzed into oligomers at 280 °C. Also, above 170 °C, the hydrothermal treatment was accompanied by a chemical process and the melting temperature and molecular weight decreased progressively. Notably, the crystal structure was not altered, but the degree of perfection of crystals and the order of crystalline regions were broken, especially above 200 °C. The hydrolytic degradation reaction was significantly affected by temperature, while both time and the water to polyamide ratio were secondary factors which influenced it to a minor extent. The process could be considered as a typical nucleophilic substitution reaction which takes place step by step inducing the molecular weight to decrease gradually. Overall, this study provides a ‘green’ route for the processing, recycling and treatment of environmentally friendly polyamides based on hydrothermal treatment technology. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Microbial transformation of androst‐4‐ene‐3, 17‐dione by Bordetella sp. B4 CGMCC 2229

BACKGROUND: Microbial transformation of steroids has attracted widespread attention, especially the transformation of those steroids synthesized with difficulty by chemical methods. In this study, microbial transformation of androst‐4‐ene‐3, 17‐dione (AD) by Bordetella sp. B4 was investigated, and the effect of temperature on transformation was studied. RESULTS: Three metabolites were purified by preparative TLC and HPLC, and identified as androsta‐1,4‐diene‐3,17‐dione (ADD), 9α‐hydroxyandrost‐4‐ene‐3, 17‐dione (9α‐OH‐AD), and 3‐hydroxy‐9, 10‐secoandrost‐1, 3, 5‐triene‐9, 17‐dione (3‐OH‐SATD) by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and mass spectroscopy (MS). It was first reported that the genus of Bordetella has the capability of AD degradation. Microbial transformation of AD was performed at 30 °C, 37 °C, 40 °C and 45 °C. The 9α‐OH‐AD yield reached a maximum within 16 h when the strain was cultivated in media with AD as sole carbon at 37 °C. Surprisingly, ADD was produced by the strain cultivated at 40 °C but not at 37 °C, which was different from previous reports. It was deduced that the alcohol dehydrogenase that catalyzed the transformation of AD to ADD may be temperature sensitive. CONCLUSION: Androst‐4‐ene‐3,17‐dione was converted into 9α‐hydroxyandrost‐4‐ene‐3, 17‐dione and other metabolites rapidly by Bordetella sp. B4. It is anticipated that the strain Bordetella sp. B4 CGMCC 2229 can be used in the steroids industry. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Novel flame retardant thermosets from nitrogen‐containing and phosphorus‐containing epoxy resins cured with dicyandiamide

A novel phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin (EPN‐D) was prepared by addition reaction of 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene 10‐oxide (DOPO) and epoxy phenol‐ formaldehyde novolac resin (EPN). The reaction was monitored by epoxide equivalent weight (EEW) titration, and its structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectra. Halogen‐free epoxy resins containing EPN‐D resin and a nitrogen‐containing epoxy resin (XT resin) were cured with dicyandiamide (DICY) to give new halogen‐free epoxy thermosets. Thermal properties of these thermosets were studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermal mechanical analyzer (TMA) and thermal‐gravimetric analysis (TGA). They exhibited very high glass transition temperatures (T_gs, 139–175°C from DSC, 138–155°C from TMA and 159–193°C from DMA), high thermal stability with T_{d,5 wt %} over 300°C when the weight ratio of XT/EPN‐D is ≥1. The flame‐retardancy of these thermosets was evaluated by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL‐94 vertical test. The thermosets containing isocyanurate and DOPO moieties showed high LOI (32.7–43.7) and could achieve UL‐94 V‐0/V‐1 grade. Isocyanurate and DOPO moieties had an obvious synergistic effect on the improvement of the flame retardancy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

A copolymer of poly[2,2′‐(m‐phenylene)‐5,5′‐ bibenzimidazole] and poly(2,5‐benzimidazole) for high‐temperature proton‐conducting membranes

A novel copolymer of polybenzimidazoles was prepared by copolymerization of 3,3′‐diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride, 3,4‐diaminobenzoic acid and isophthalic acid in polyphosphoric acid at 200 °C. The polymerization could be performed within 90–110 min with the assistance of microwave irradiation. The solubility of the copolymer obtained in N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) was improved compared with those of poly[2,2′‐(m‐phenylene)‐5,5′‐bibenzimidazole] and poly(2,5‐benzimidazole). Thus copolymer membranes could be readily prepared by dissolving the copolymer powders in DMAc with refluxing under ambient pressure. The decomposition temperature of the copolymer was about 520 °C in air according to thermogravimetric analysis data. The proton conductivity and mechanical strength of the phosphoric acid‐doped copolymer membranes were investigated at elevated temperatures. A conductivity of 0.09 S cm^?1 at 180 °C and a tensile stress at break of 5.9 MPa at 120 °C were achieved for the acid‐doped copolymer membranes by doping acids in a 75 wt% H₃PO₄ solution. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and properties of polyamides based on 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐hexahydro‐4,7‐methanoindan

A new diamine 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐hexahydro‐4,7‐methanoindan ( 3 ) was prepared through the nucleophilic displacement of 5,5′‐bis(4‐hydroxylphenyl)‐hexahydro‐4,7‐methanoindan ( 1 ) with p‐halonitrobenzene in the presence of K₂CO₃ in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by catalytic reduction with hydrazine and Pd/C in ethanol. A series of new polyamides were synthesized by the direct polycondensation of diamine 3 with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids. The polymers were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.76–1.02 dl g⁻¹. All the polymers were soluble in aprotic dipolar solvents such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), and could be solution cast into transparent, flexible and tough films. The glass transition temperatures of the polyamides were in the range 245–282 °C; their 10% weight loss temperatures were above 468 °C in nitrogen and above 465 °C in air. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

High‐temperature‐resistant polymer gel system with metal–organic mixed cross‐linking agents

A high‐temperature (200°C)‐resistant polymer gel system was developed from partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), chromium lactate (CrL), and water‐soluble phenol/formaldehyde resin (WPF) mixed cross‐linkers. Rheological measurements indicated that the gelation process of the gel system could be divided into four successive steps: induction, first cross‐linking with metal cross‐linker, secondary cross‐linking with organic cross‐linker, and stabilization. Effects of various parameters that affect the gelation time and gel strength including polymer concentration, cross‐linker concentration, salinity, pH, and the gelation temperature were evaluated. Gelant formulated with 0.5 wt % HPAM, 0.1 wt % CrL, and 0.9 wt % WPF and treated at 80°C for 48 h showed sufficient gelation time, high rigidity, and good thermal stability. Morphology observation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the gel had compact network microstructure. A cross‐linking mechanism for the gel system was proposed based on the gelation process and experimental results. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42261.     

Synthesis of PS‐g‐POSS hybrid graft copolymer by click coupling via ”graft onto” strategy

Polystyrene (PS)‐incorporated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) organic–inorganic hybrid graft copolymer could be achieved by click coupling reaction between alkyne groups in POSS and azido groups in PS via “graft onto” strategy. Alkyne‐functionalized POSS was synthesized via thiol‐ene facile click reaction and subsequent amidation reaction with very high yield. Azido‐multifunctionalized PS could be synthesized by chloromethylation and subsequent azido reaction. The chemical structures of PS‐(CH₂Cl)_m, PS‐(CH₂N₃)_m, and PS‐g‐POSS were determined by Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR characterization. PS‐g‐POSS presented a better hydrophobic property with contact angle of 113° than that of PS (85°). And PS‐g‐POSS with ≤5% of grafting degree had lower glass transition temperature (T_g) than that of PS and then it increased up to 112°C with grafting degree. An obvious aggregation of POSS phase with 10–80 nm in size was formed in PS‐g‐POSS matrix. In addition, 5 wt % of PS‐g‐POSS was added to general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) to remarkably improve its tensile strength from 45 to 57 MPa. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Catalytic membrane reactor for Suzuki‐Miyaura C−C cross‐coupling: Explanation for its high efficiency via modeling

A polymeric catalytic membrane was previously prepared that showed remarkable efficiency for Suzuki‐Miyaura C‐C cross‐coupling in a flow‐through configuration. A mathematic model was developed and fitted to the experimental data to understand the significant apparent reaction rate increase exhibited by the catalytic membrane reactor compared to the catalytic system under batch reaction conditions. It appears that the high palladium nanoparticles concentration inside the membrane is mainly responsible for the high apparent reaction rate achieved. In addition, the best performance of the catalytic membrane could be achieved only in the forced flow‐through configuration, that, conditions permitting to the reactants be brought to the catalytic membrane by convection. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 698–704, 2017     

Cross‐linking of ethylene‐octene copolymer (EOC) by dicumyl peroxide (DCP)

Ethylene‐octene copolymer (EOC) was crosslinked by dicumyl peroxide (DCP) at various temperatures (150–200°C). Six concentrations of DCP in range 0.2–0.7 wt % were investigated. cross‐linking was studied by rubber process analyzer (RPA) and by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). From RPA data analysis real part modulus s', tan δ, and reaction rate were investigated as a function of peroxide content and temperature. The highest s'_max and the lowest tan δ were found for 0.7% of DCP at 150°C. Chain scission was analyzed by slope analysis of conversion ratio, X in times after reaching the maximum. Less susceptible to chain scission are temperatures in range 150–170°C and peroxide levels 0.2–0.5%. Heat of reaction was analyzed by DSC at various heating rates (5–40°C min⁻¹). It was found to be exothermic. By projection to zero heating rate, the reaction was found to start at 128°C with the maximum at 168°C. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Catalytic para‐xylene maximization: III. Hydroisomerization of meta‐xylene on H‐ZSM‐5 catalysts containing different platinum contents

Hydroisomerization of meta‐xylene was carried out using catalysts containing 0.15–0.60 wt% Pt on H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite, in a pulsed microreactor system connected to a gas chromatograph at a flow of hydrogen of 20 cm³ min⁻¹ and temperatures of 275–500 °C. Increasing temperature, increased isomerization with low rates. Increasing Pt content of the catalyst, decreased hydrodealkylation considerably via masking strong acid sites as revealed by temperature programmed desorption of ammonia measurements. Formation of trimethylbenzenes was inhibited by Pt incorporation in the H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite. The activation energies obtained for meta‐xylene hydroisomerization were relatively low (24.4–61.6 kJ mol⁻¹) on all catalysts under study. Para‐xylene yields in the xylenes mixture of product relative to the corresponding thermodynamic equilibrium values amount to about 0.8–0.9 at temperatures of 400–500 °C but were lower at lower temperatures. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry