The introduction of mesoporosity in zeolites has been successfully demonstrated by many different approaches, which can be primarily classified into either top-down or bottom-up strategies. The top-down strategy uses microporous zeolites for post-synthetic modifications to create hierarchical structures, while the bottom-up strategy usually creates hierarchical structures through the engineering of microporous and mesoporous domains by templating routes. It is widely believed that top-down routes are destructive since mesoporosity is created by selective leaching of zeolite framework, while bottom-up synthesis is constructive in terms of its potential to building micropososity and mesoporosity simultaneously.  However, in this talk, we will discuss some intriguing but convincing evidence opposite to the conventional wisdom, i.e. the top-down strategy (e.g. desilication) can be constructive in preserving microporosity via recrystallization while the bottom-up strategy (e.g. soft-template approach) leads to an inevitable destructive effect due to the disruption of microporous domain growth during synthesis.  The new insights may enable us to synthesize new hierarchical zeolites with improved catalytic performances that are more relevant to be considered in industrial catalysis.<br/>

Synthesizing hierarchical zeolites: A tale of two strategies

2019 Spring National Meeting

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