Hydroxyl Groups of Exceptionally High Acidity in Desilicated Zeolites Y

Nitrogen as a Probe Molecule for the IR Studies of the Heterogeneity of OH Groups in Zeolites

One of the methods of IR studies of the heterogeneity of Si–OH–Al groups in zeolites is the investigation of the frequency shift of the band of free OH bands restored upon the adsorption of ammonia and subsequent desorption at increasing temperatures. We extended this method by following the shift of the band of the OH group interacting by hydrogen bonding with nitrogen. The advantage of nitrogen, compared with CO, which has been commonly used as a probe molecule in studies on hydrogen bonding, is that for nitrogen the frequency shift is smaller than for CO and therefore there is no overlapping of shifted OH band with the bands of ammonium ions. For zeolites NaHY, HMFI, and HBEA, the frequency shift of IR bands of both free and hydrogen-bonded Si–OH–Al with the increase of ammonia desorption temperature evidences the heterogeneity of these hydroxyls. On the other hand, in zeolite HFAU of Si/Al = 31, Si–OH–Al were found to be homogeneous. Heterogeneity of OH groups may be explained both by the presence of Si–OH–Al of various number of Al near the bridge and of Si–OH–Al of various geometry.

Unlocking the Potential of Hidden Sites in Faujasite: New Insights in a Proton Transfer Mechanism

Zeolite Y and its ultra-stabilized hierarchical derivative (USY) are the most widely used zeolite-based heterogeneous catalysts in oil refining, petrochemisty, and other chemicals manufacturing. After almost 60 years of academic and industrial research, their resilience is unique as no other catalyst displaced them from key processes such as FCC and hydrocracking. The present study highlights the key difference leading to the exceptional catalytic performance of USY versus the parent zeolite Y in a multi-technique study combining advanced spectroscopies (IR and solid-state NMR) and molecular modeling. The results highlight a hitherto unreported proton transfer involving inaccessible active sites in sodalite cages that contributes to the exceptional catalytic performance of USY.

State of the Art and Perspectives of Hierarchical Zeolites: Practical Overview of Synthesis Methods and Use in Catalysis

Microporous zeolites have proven to be of great importance in many chemical processes. Yet, they often suffer from diffusion limitations causing inefficient use of the available catalytically active sites. To address this problem, hierarchical zeolites have been developed, which extensively improve the catalytic performance. There is a multitude of recent literature describing synthesis of and catalysis with these hierarchical zeolites. This review attempts to organize and overview this literature (of the last 5 years), with emphasis on the most important advances with regard to synthesis and application of such zeolites. Special attention is paid to the most common and important 10- and 12-membered ring zeolites (MTT, TON, FER, MFI, MOR, FAU, and *BEA). In contrast to previous reviews, the research per zeolite topology is brought together and discussed here. This allows the reader to instantly find the best synthesis method in accordance to the desired zeolite properties. A summarizing graph is made available to enable the reader to select suitable synthesis procedures based on zeolite acidity and mesoporosity, the two most important tunable properties.

Acid Properties of Hierarchical Zeolites Y

The article reviews different strategies towards obtaining mesoporous zeolites Y: desilication; surfactant templating and assembly of zeolite crystals. The impact of those methods on physicochemical properties is covered, with a special focus on the acidity of the samples measured with infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The methods of characterization of acidity are presented. Quaternary ammonium cations used for desilication lead to obtaining crystalline; mesoporous and highly acidic zeolites. Si-OH-Al groups of extremely high acidity can be produced by calcination in a humid atmosphere. When the conditions are optimized, post-synthetic surfactant templating allows crystalline mesoporous zeolite to be obtained with no loss of material. All mesoporous zeolites Y proved to be active catalysts in liquid phase isomerization, catalytic cracking, and other reactions.

Sonically modified hierarchical FAU-type zeolites as active catalysts for the production of furan from furfural

In this study, the sonochemical-assisted desilication method was applied as a special and innovative way of preparing hierarchical zeolites. The physicochemical properties of the hierarchical zeolites prepared using the sonochemical route were compared with those prepared using the conventional desilication method. Commercial zeolite with FAU-type structure was desilicated with a sodium and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide aqueous solution (NaOH/TBAOH) for 30 min. The ultrasound treatment process was performed using a QSonica Q700 sonicator (Church Hill Rd, Newtown, CT, USA) equipped with a ½″ diameter horn. The average power of sonication was 60 W, and the frequency was 20 kHz. During the sonication procedure, the alkaline solution with the catalyst precursor and sonicator probe were placed in an ice bath to keep them at room temperature. The prepared catalyst samples were examined by ICP-OES, XRD, SEM, NMR, and nitrogen sorption techniques. The acidic properties of the prepared hierarchical zeolite samples were assessed by means of IR spectroscopy with ammonia and carbon monoxide sorption as probe molecules. All catalysts were studied in the decarbonylation of furfural into furan. Independently of the application of ultrasonic irradiation, desilication of zeolites with an NaOH/TBAOH mixture extracts comparable amounts of silicon, resulting in comparable crystallinity and acidity. On the other hand, the samples prepared in the presence of ultrasounds revealed higher both mesoporosity and enhanced catalytic properties in the reaction of decarbonylation of furfural into furan in comparison with their counterparts prepared using the conventional method.

IR and NMR Studies of the Status of Al and Acid Sites in Desilicated Zeolite Y

The desilication of zeolite Y (of Si/Al = 31) that was previously dealuminated by steaming and acid treatment was studied. Desilication of zeolites of high Si/Al module in alkali solutions extracts both Si and Al from zeolite crystals, but while Si remains in solution, Al is reinserted into the zeolite grain. The main goal of our study was to follow the status of Al reinserted into zeolite during the desilication procedure, and its role in the formation of acid sites of the Brønsted and Lewis types. The properties of Al were followed by 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy (for parent samples and zeolites treated either with NaOH or NaOH/tetrabutylammonium hydroxide), whereas the acid sites generated in the final stages were studied by IR spectroscopy with NH3 and CO as probe molecules. In non-desilicated zeolite, most of the Al was in a typically zeolitic tetrahedral coordination, while both NMR and quantitative IR studies of NH3 sorption evidenced that Al that was extracted by desilication and was subsequently reinserted had a tetrahedral coordination similar to amorphous aluminosilicates and showed an ion exchange ability. After the exchange of Na+ to NH4+ and decomposition of NH4+ ions, reinserted Al forms generated protonic sites from which some condensed at higher temperatures producing Lewis acid sites (with stoichiometry typical for zeolites i.e., the condensation of two protonic sites produces one Lewis site) but some other kept their character.