Hydrated hydronium ions form at Brønsted acid sites in presence of water in zeolite pores of all sizes. The size of these clusters appears to depend on the pore size and is limited by the entropy loss compared to condensation outside the zeolite pores. The remaining pore space is empty in the sole presence of water. Molecules sorb in the space between hydronium clusters and may partly also substitute for water in the cluster forming the hydrated hydronium ion. Their catalytic activity is determined by the steric environment and the impact on the excess chemical potential of reacting substrates stabilizing ground and transition states to different degrees. Examples illustrating the impact of hydrated hydronium ions include the dehydration of alcohols, the alkylation of aromatic molecules, and hydrogenation on zeolite supported metal nanoparticles.

Impact of hydrated hydronium ions in steric confines on sorption and catalytic transformations

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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