Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, the largest-volume synthetic surfactant, in addition to its excellent performance, is important due to its biodegradable environmental friendliness, as it has a straight chain and is prepared by the sulphonation of linear alkylbenzenes (LAB). To ensure environmental protection, the commercial benzene alkylation catalysts HF or AlCl3 are replaced and we have developed a clean LAB production process using a pillared clay catalyst capable of not only replacing the conventional homogeneous catalysts, but also having high selectivity for the best biodegradable 2-phenyl LAB isomer. Pillared clay catalysts having high Bronsted acidity show efficient conversion in gas phase alkylation of benzene with 1-octene with a good 2-phenyl octane selectivity.