Confined Synthesis of Mesoporous ZSM-5 and Their Catalytic Performances

Microporous crystalline aluminosilicate, zeolites, are primarily used for catalytic fuel-upgrading in refineries and also for the production of various petrochemicals. Their superior performance can often be attributed to the existence of a well-defined system of micropore with uniform shape and size. However, in many cases, the sole presence of micropore can also be a major limitation because mass transport to and from the active sites located within the micropore is slow, which is often limiting the performance of industrial catalysts. In this study, ZSM-5 was synthesized inside three-dimensionally-ordered mesoporous (3DOm) carbon with a uniform pore size from 20 nm to 50 nm¹. Electron Microscopy, X-ray diffraction and N₂ adsorption and desorption reveal that the ZSM-5 crystals reliably replicate the 3DOm porosity, resulting in highly ordered mesopore structure with a controllable pore size from 2 nm to 5 nm. Effect of the presence of mesopore on the adsorption and catalytic performances with respect to monomolecular alkane activation will be discussed in the presentation.

1.Fan, W.; Synder, M. A.; Sandeep, K.; Lee, S. P.; Yoo, C. W.; McCormick, A. V.; Penn, L. R.; Stein, A.; Tsapatsis, M. Nat. Mater. 2008, 7, 984.