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Porous catalysts

In the zeolite zone

Nature Catalysis volume 6, pages 222–223 (2023)Cite this article

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Microporous zeolites have pores of molecular dimension that can stabilize desired chemical pathways but may also introduce mass-transfer limitations. Now, synthesis protocols allow for greater control of catalyst active-site location via elemental zoning, enabling an alternative strategy to reduce mass-transfer limitations and consequently improve catalyst performance for methanol-to-hydrocarbon reactions.

Zeolites are one family of nanoporous solid that are ubiquitous as catalysts and as adsorbents. Some zeolites are formed naturally, but synthetic zeolites are common and can have micropores with diameters less than 2 nm. One example is the zeolite ZSM-5, which is a microporous aluminosilicate. Aluminium ions (Al3+) substitute for silicon ions (Si4+), leaving a residual charge on the framework that can be balanced by protons. ZSM-5 thus behaves as a Brønsted solid acid. Microporous zeolites such as ZSM-5 have pores of molecular dimension that confine adsorbates due to favourable intermolecular interactions. This so-called confinement effect can also be used in catalysis to lower activation energies by stabilizing transition states to a greater degree than reactants1,2,3.

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Fig. 1: Controlling the spatial gradient of Brønsted acid sites in ZSM-5 zeolites.

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  1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Brandon C. Bukowski

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  1. Brandon C. Bukowski
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Correspondence to Brandon C. Bukowski.

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Bukowski, B.C. In the zeolite zone. Nat Catal 6, 222–223 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-023-00926-3

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