Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zeolites with Three-Dimensionally Ordered Mesoporous-Imprinted Structure

Abstract

Zeolites are microporous materials with pores and channels of molecular dimensions that find numerous applications in catalysis, separations, ion exchange, etc. However, whereas uniformity of micropore size is a most desirable and enabling characteristic for many of their uses, in certain cases, for example in reactions involving bulky molecules, it is a limitation. For this reason, synthesis of hierarchical zeolites with micro- and mesoporosity is of considerable interest as a way to control molecular traffic for improved catalytic and separation performance. Herein, we report a general synthesis route for the confined synthesis of zeolites within three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous carbon templates by conventional hydrothermal synthesis. Various zeolites, including BEA, LTA, FAU, and LTL, with three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous-imprinted structure have been synthesized by this approach. It is expected that these hierarchical zeolite materials will provide building blocks for thin-film and other syntheses and may provide a basis for quantitatively studying the mass-transfer limitation on the catalytic performance of zeolite catalysts.