mesoporous zeolites
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Currently, zeolites are one of the most important classes of heterogeneous catalysts in chemical industries owing to their unique structural characteristics such as molecular-scale size/shape-selectivity, heterogenized single catalytic sites in the framework, and excellent stability in harsh industrial processes. However, the microporous structure of conventional zeolite materials limits their applications to small-molecule reactions. To alleviate this problem, mesoporous zeolitic frameworks were developed. In the last few decades, several methods have been developed for the synthesis of mesoporous zeolites; these zeolites have demonstrated greater lifetime and better performance than their bulk microporous counterparts in many catalytic processes, which can be explained by the rapid diffusion of reactant species into the zeolite framework and facile accessibility to bulky molecules through the mesopores. Mesoporous zeolites provide versatile opportunities not only in conventional chemical industries but also in emerging catalysis fields. This review presents many state-of-the-art mesoporous zeolites, discusses various strategies for their synthesis, and details their contributions to catalytic reactions including catalytic cracking, isomerization, alkylation and acylation, alternative fuel synthesis via methanol-to-hydrocarbon (MTH) and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) routes, and different fine-chemical syntheses.

Porous zeolite catalysts have been widely used in the industry for the conversion of fuel-range molecules for decades. They have the advantages of higher surface area, better hydrothermal stability, and superior shape selectivity, which make them ideal catalysts for hydrocarbon cracking in the petrochemical industry. However, the catalytic activity and selectivity of zeolites for hydrocarbon cracking are significantly affected by the zeolite topology and composition. The aim of this review is to survey recent investigations on hydrocarbon cracking and secondary reactions in micro- and mesoporous zeolites, with the emphasis on the studies of the effects of different porous environments and active site structures on alkane adsorption and activation at the molecular level. The pros and cons of different computational methods used for zeolite simulations are also discussed in this review.

Zeolites are known to be effective catalysts in biomass converting processes. Understanding the mesoporous structure and dynamics within it during such reactions is important in effectively utilizing them. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) T2 relaxation and diffusion measurements, using a high-power radio frequency probe, are shown to characterize the dynamics of water in mesoporous commercially made 5A zeolite beads before and after the introduction of xylose. Xylose is the starting point in the dehydration into furfural. The results indicate xylose slightly enhances rotational mobility while it decreases translational motion through altering the permeability, K, throughout the porous structure. The measurements show xylose inhibits pure water from relocating into larger pores within the zeolite beads where it eventually is expelled from the bead itself.

The article reviews different strategies towards obtaining mesoporous zeolites Y: desilication; surfactant templating and assembly of zeolite crystals. The impact of those methods on physicochemical properties is covered, with a special focus on the acidity of the samples measured with infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The methods of characterization of acidity are presented. Quaternary ammonium cations used for desilication lead to obtaining crystalline; mesoporous and highly acidic zeolites. Si-OH-Al groups of extremely high acidity can be produced by calcination in a humid atmosphere. When the conditions are optimized, post-synthetic surfactant templating allows crystalline mesoporous zeolite to be obtained with no loss of material. All mesoporous zeolites Y proved to be active catalysts in liquid phase isomerization, catalytic cracking, and other reactions.

CO2 is a harmful greenhouse gas, a product of chemical emissions, the combustion of fossil fuels and car exhausts, and it is a widely available source of carbon. The review considers various ways of hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into components of motor fuels - methanol, dimethyl ether, ethanol, hydrocarbons - in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts. At each route of conversion of CO2 (into oxygenates or hydrocarbons) the first stage is the formation of CO by the reverse water gas shift (rWGS) reaction, which must be taken into account when catalysts of process are choosing. The influence of chemical nature, specific surface area, particle size and interaction between catalyst components, as well as the method of its production on the CO2 conversion processes is analyzed. It is noted that the main active components of CO2 conversion into methanol are copper atoms and ions which interact with the oxide components of the catalyst. There is a positive effect of other metals oxides additives with strong basic centers on the surface on the activity of the traditional copper-zinc-aluminum oxide catalyst for the synthesis of methanol from the synthesis gas. The most active catalysts for the synthesis of DME from CO2 and H2 are bifunctional. These catalysts contain both a methanol synthesis catalyst and a dehydrating component, such as mesoporous zeolites with acid centers of weak and medium strength, evenly distributed on the surface. The synthesis of gasoline hydrocarbons (≥ C5) is carried out through the formation of CO or CH3OH and DME as intermediates on multifunctional catalysts, which also contain zeolites. Hydrogenation of CO2 into ethanol can be considered as an alternative to the synthesis of ethanol through the hydration of ethylene. High activation energy of carbon dioxide, harsh synthesis conditions as well as high selectivity for hydrocarbons, in particular methane remains the main problems. Further increase of selectivity and efficiency of carbon dioxide hydrogenation processes involves the use of nanocatalysts taking into account the mechanism of CO2 conversion reactions, development of methods for removing excess water as a by-product from the reaction zone and increasing catalyst stability over time.