<p>In the tert-butyl removal reaction, solid acid catalysts have emerged as a preferred alternative to liquid acid catalysts due to their environmentally friendly advantages. Various zeolites, such as ZSM-5, MCM-41, USY, and H beta, as well as mesoporous materials, such as γ-Al₂O₃ and active clay were employed for the first time to prepare m-cresol through the tert-butyl removal reaction of 4,6-di-tert-butyl-m-cresol (4,6-DBMC). γ-Al₂O₃ and active clay catalysts were found to have excellent catalytic performance in this reaction. The thermodynamic properties of the tert-butyl removal reaction of 4,6-DBMC were studied. Under different temperature and solvent conditions, the product distribution was investigated. A proposed reaction pathway and mechanism were proposed. And through cyclic experiments, the stability of γ-Al₂O₃ and active clay catalysts was investigated separately. After six cycles, the m-cresol yield for active clay catalyst was still maintained at about 90%. The causes of deactivation of the two catalysts were analyzed. After regeneration, both catalysts exhibited good regeneration performance. This study offers a basis for the selection of solid acid catalysts for the tert-butyl groups removal of 4,6-DBMC. </p> Graphical abstract <p></p>