Zeolites have been used extensively in the oil refining and petrochemical industries due to their unique pore structures, acidity, and stability.  The realization of large-scale production of synthetic zeolites and the discovery of new zeolite materials laid the foundation for utilizing zeolites as industrial solid-acid catalysts. Nowadays, zeolites have been used in many industrial processes for a series of critical applications, such as fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, and isomerization.  The chronology of zeolite-related studies over the years has informed researchers that the successful synthesis of novel zeolite materials usually requires both the development of synthetic chemistry and the use of organic templates. Meanwhile, the design and construction of zeolites with hierarchical structure play key roles in optimizing the catalytic performance of zeolite materials since many industrial applications involve the presence of bulky molecules that would have severe diffusion limitations within microporous zeolite structures, leading to significantly underutilized acid sites and higher tendency to coke formation.<br/><br/>From the viewpoint of large-scale commercialization, there are perpetual challenges of producing zeolite materials economically and sustainably.  In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the development of green chemistry toward more sustainable zeolite synthesis. One major innovation has focused on identifying alternative solutions to reducing the negative impacts of organic templates.  On the other hand, challenges are also associated with the scalable production of mesoporous zeolites that have desirable pore properties with maximum preservation of microporosity and crystallinity. In this talk, research activities in designing hierarchically structured zeolites for a variety of refining applications as well as several synthetic routes currently being pursued will be outlined, while the recent progress on improving these materials to make them more scalable, sustainable, and economical will be vigorously discussed. The insight into the mechanism and interplay leading to different zeolite materials will enable us to understand the requirements for designing novel zeolites that are likely to further enhance the industrial impact of these materials in the future.<br/>

Designing hierarchical zeolites:  Scalable, sustainable, and economical

256th National Meeting (2018)

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