Abstract:A series of Mg-Al binary composite oxide catalysts (MMO) were synthesized via the co-precipitation method using ammonia as the precipitant, magnesium nitrate as the magnesium source, and aluminum nitrate as the aluminum source. The microstructure and surface properties of MMO were characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM, EDS, and BET analysis. The effects of the Mg/Al molar ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time, and catalyst dosage on the yield of isophorone were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that co-Mg2.5Al1-MMO-2, prepared with an Mg/Al molar ratio of 2.5:1, exhibited the highest catalytic activity for isophorone synthesis via acetone condensation. The optimal reaction conditions were determined to be: reaction temperature of 200 ℃, reaction time of 8 h, and a catalyst loading of 5.9%. Under these conditions, the selectivity of isophorone reached 47.27%, with a yield of 40.74%. co-Mg2.5Al1-MMO-2 possesses a mesoporous structure, functions as an acid-base synergistic catalyst, and contains medium-strength basic sites along with a high proportion of strong acidic sites (74.05%), which are beneficial for isophorone formation. Furthermore, the catalyst still has good catalytic properties under amplification conditions, with the selectivity of isophorone reaching 42.88% and the yield is 38.29%.