Synthesis of High-Silica LTA and UFI Zeolites and NH3–SCR Performance of Their Copper-Exchanged Form

Recent Progress on Low-Temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with Ammonia

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with ammonia (NH3-SCR) has been implemented in response to the regulation of NOx emissions from stationary and mobile sources above 300 °C. However, the development of NH3-SCR catalysts active at low temperatures below 200 °C is still needed to improve the energy efficiency and to cope with various fuels. In this review article, recent reports on low-temperature NH3-SCR catalysts are systematically summarized. The redox property as well as the surface acidity are two main factors that affect the catalytic activity. The strong redox property is beneficial for the low-temperature NH3-SCR activity but is responsible for N2O formation. The multiple electron transfer system is more plausible for controlling redox properties. H2O and SOx, which are often found with NOx in flue gas, have a detrimental effect on NH3-SCR activity, especially at low temperatures. The competitive adsorption of H2O can be minimized by enhancing the hydrophobic property of the catalyst. Various strategies to improve the resistance to SOx poisoning are also discussed.

Synthesis and Structural Analysis of High-Silica ERI Zeolite with Spatially-Biased Al Distribution as a Promising NH3-SCR Catalyst

Erionite (ERI) zeolite has recently attracted considerable attention for its application prospect in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR), provided that the high-silica (Si/Al > 5.5) analog with improved hydrothermal stability can be facilely synthesized. In this work, ERI zeolites with different Si/Al ratios (4.6, 6.4, and 9.1) are synthesized through an ultrafast route, and in particular, a high-silica ERI zeolite with a Si/Al ratio of 9.1 is obtained by using faujasite (FAU) as a starting material. The solid-state 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopic study in combination with a computational simulation allows for figuring out the atomic configurations of the Al species in the three ERI zeolites. It is revealed that the ERI zeolite with the highest Si/Al ratio (ERI-9.1, where the number indicates the Si/Al ratio) exhibits a biased Al occupancy at T1 site, which is possibly due to the presence of a higher fraction of the residual potassium cations in the can cages. In contrast, the Al siting in ERI-4.6 and ERI-6.4 proves to be relatively random.

Cu-OFF/ERI Zeolite: Intergrowth Structure Synergistically Boosting Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3

Cu-SSZ-13 has been commercialized for selective catalytic reduction with ammonia (NH3-SCR) to remove NOx from diesel exhaust. As its synthesis usually requires toxic and costly organic templates, the discovery of alternative Cu-based zeolite catalysts with organotemplate-free synthesis and comparable or even superior NH3-SCR activity to that of Cu-SSZ-13 is of great academic and industrial significance. Herein, we demonstrated that Cu-T with an intergrowth structure of offretite (OFF) and erionite (ERI) synthesized by an organotemplate-free method showed better catalytic performance than Cu-ERI and Cu-OFF as well as Cu-SSZ-13. Structure characterizations and density functional theory calculations indicated that the intergrowth structure promoted more isolated Cu2+ located at the 6MR of the intergrowth interface, resulting in a better hydrothermal stability of Cu-T than Cu-ERI and Cu-OFF. Strikingly, the low-temperature activity of Cu-T significantly increased after hydrothermal aging, while that of Cu-ERI and Cu-OFF substantially decreased. Based on in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra analysis and density functional theory calculations, the reason can be attributed to the fact that NH4NO3 formed on the CuxOy species within ERI polymorph of Cu-T underwent a fast SCR reaction pathway with the assistance of Brønsted acid sites at the intergrowth interfaces under standard SCR reaction conditions. Significantly, Cu-T exhibited a wider temperature window at a catalytic activity of over 90% than Cu-SSZ-13 (175-550 vs 175-500 °C for fresh and 225-500 vs 250-400 °C for hydrothermal treatment). This work provides a new direction for the design of high-performance NH3-SCR catalysts in terms of the interplay of the intergrowth structure of zeolites.

Interplay between copper redox and transfer and support acidity and topology in low temperature NH3-SCR

Low-temperature standard NH₃-SCR over copper-exchanged zeolite catalysts occurs on NH₃-solvated Cu-ion active sites in a quasi-homogeneous manner. As key kinetically relevant reaction steps, the reaction intermediate Cu^II(NH₃)₄ ion hydrolyzes to Cu^II(OH)(NH₃)₃ ion to gain redox activity. The Cu^II(OH)(NH₃)₃ ion also transfers between neighboring zeolite cages to form highly reactive reaction intermediates. Via operando electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and SCR kinetic measurements and density functional theory calculations, we demonstrate here that such kinetically relevant steps become energetically more difficult with lower support Brønsted acid strength and density. Consequently, Cu/LTA displays lower Cu atomic efficiency than Cu/CHA and Cu/AEI, which can also be rationalized by considering differences in their support topology. By carrying out hydrothermal aging to eliminate support Brønsted acid sites, both Cu^II(NH₃)₄ ion hydrolysis and Cu^II(OH)(NH₃)₃ ion migration are hindered, leading to a marked decrease in Cu atomic efficiency for all catalysts.

Insights into SO2 Poisoning Mechanisms of Fresh and Hydrothermally Aged Cu-KFI Catalysts for NH3-SCR Reaction

The complex poisoning of Cu-KFI catalysts by SO₂ and hydrothermal aging (HTA) was investigated. The low-temperature activity of Cu-KFI catalysts was restrained by the formation of H₂SO₄ and then CuSO₄ after sulfur poisoning. Hydrothermally aged Cu-KFI exhibited better SO₂ resistance than fresh Cu-KFI since HTA significantly reduced the number of Brønsted acid sites, which were considered to be the H₂SO₄ storage sites. The high-temperature activity of SO₂-poisoned Cu-KFI was basically unchanged compared to the fresh catalyst. However, SO₂ poisoning promoted the high-temperature activity of hydrothermally aged Cu-KFI since it triggered CuOx into CuSO₄ species, which was considered as an important role in the NH₃-SCR reaction at high temperatures. In addition, hydrothermally aged Cu-KFI catalysts were more easily regenerated after SO₂ poisoning than fresh Cu-KFI on account of the instability of CuSO₄.

Cold-Start NOx Mitigation by Passive Adsorption Using Pd-Exchanged Zeolites: From Material Design to Mechanism Understanding and System Integration

It remains a major challenge to abate efficiently the harmful nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in low-temperature diesel exhausts emitted during the cold-start period of engine operation. Passive NO_x adsorbers (PNA), which could temporarily capture NO_x at low temperatures (below 200 °C) and release the stored NO_x at higher temperatures (normally 250-450 °C) to downstream selective catalytic reduction unit for complete abatement, hold promise to mitigate cold-start NO_x emissions. In this review, recent advances in material design, mechanism understanding, and system integration are summarized for PNA based on palladium-exchanged zeolites. First, we discuss the choices of parent zeolite, Pd precursor, and synthetic method for the synthesis of Pd-zeolites with atomic Pd dispersions, and review the effect of hydrothermal aging on the properties and PNA performance of Pd-zeolites. Then, we show how different experimental and theoretical methodologies can be integrated to gain mechanistic insights into the nature of Pd active sites, the NO_x storage/release chemistry, as well as the interactions between Pd and typical components/poisons in engine exhausts. This review also gathers several novel designs of PNA integration into modern exhaust after-treatment systems for practical application. At the end, we discuss the major challenges, as well as important implications, for the further development and real application of Pd-zeolite-based PNA in cold-start NO_x mitigation.

Regulation of the Si/Al ratios and Al distributions of zeolites and their impact on properties

Zeolites are typically a class of crystalline microporous aluminosilicates that are constructed by SiO4 and AlO4 tetrahedra. Because of their unique porous structures, strong Brönsted acidity, molecular-level shape selectivity, exchangeable cations, and high thermal/hydrothermal stability, zeolites are widely used as catalysts, adsorbents, and ion-exchangers in industry. The activity, selectivity, and stability/durability of zeolites in applications are closely related to their Si/Al ratios and Al distributions in the framework. In this review, we discussed the basic principles and the state-of-the-art methodologies for regulating the Si/Al ratios and Al distributions of zeolites, including seed-assisted recipe modification, interzeolite transformation, fluoride media, and usage of organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs), etc. The conventional and newly developed characterization methods for determining the Si/Al ratios and Al distributions were summarized, which include X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), solid state 29Si/27Al magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (29Si/27Al MAS NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), etc. The impact of Si/Al ratios and Al distributions on the catalysis, adsorption/separation, and ion-exchange performance of zeolites were subsequently demonstrated. Finally, we presented a perspective on the precise control of the Si/Al ratios and Al distributions of zeolites and the corresponding challenges.

Si/Al Ratio Determines the SCR Performance of Cu-SSZ-13 Catalysts in the Presence of NO2

A comparative study was performed to investigate the NH₃-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction activity of Cu-SSZ-13 zeolites having Si/Al ratios (SARs) of 5, 18, and 30. Remarkably, the Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite catalysts exhibited completely opposite behaviors as a function of SAR under standard SCR (SSCR) and fast SCR (FSCR) reaction atmospheres. Under SSCR conditions, the NO_x conversion increased as expected with the decreasing SAR. Under FSCR conditions, however, the NO_x conversion decreased as the SAR decreased, contrary to expectations. In this study, based on characterization of the catalysts by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, H₂-temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed desorption, and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, together with theoretical calculations, the authors found that the amount of Brønsted acid sites goes up while the SAR goes down, leading to an increase in the accumulation of NH₄NO₃ under FSCR reaction conditions. Moreover, the accumulated NH₄NO₃ is of greater stability for those low SAR Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts. These two reasons cause the FSCR performance of Cu-SSZ-13 to decrease with a decrease in SAR. As a result, the NO₂ effect on SCR activity changes from promotion to inhibition as the SAR decreases.

Destructive and Protective Effects of NH3 on the Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Stability of SAPO-34 and Cu-SAPO-34

The influences of gaseous, weakly adsorbed, and strongly adsorbed NH₃ on the low-temperature (<100 °C) hydrothermal stability of SAPO-34 and Cu-SAPO-34 were investigated. NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD), ¹H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) were adopted to characterize the adsorption states of NH₃ and H₂O in SAPO-34, and the destruction of the SAPO-34 framework was revealed by direct and cross-polarization ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al, and ³¹P MAS NMR. Gaseous NH₃ coadsorbed with H₂O inside SAPO-34 micropores and induced the hydrolysis of framework P-O-Al and Si-O(H)-Al bonds. Weakly adsorbed NH₃ was released during aging and played a similar negative role to gaseous NH₃. When being combined with hydrolyzed Al species from the framework, active Cu ions transformed to inactive CuAl₂O₄-like species, leading to deactivation in low-temperature SCR of Cu-SAPO-34. Strongly adsorbed NH₄⁺ via 200 °C preadsorption protected the framework integrity of SAPO-34 and the SCR activity of Cu-SAPO-34.

Selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH3-SCR) over copper loaded LEV type zeolites synthesized with different templates

LEV type zeolites were synthesized with four different structure-directing agents and converted to copper loaded NH₃-SCR catalysts. The synthesis recipe was found to impact the respective Al population in the two topologically different framework sites in double and single 6-rings, resolvable by ²⁷Al MAS NMR spectroscopy. Hydrothermal stability was found to be related to the silanol concentration, Si/Al ratio, particle size, crystal morphology, crystal defects, external surface area, and microporosity. Catalytic activity in NH₃-SCR was dependent on preferential Al siting in the double 6-rings. Levinite synthesized using adamantylamine showed the strongest preference for Al atoms sitting in double 6-ring sites, and showed the highest catalytic turnover frequency. Unfortunately, because of the large crystal size, copper loading of this sample was limited to 0.6 wt% while other samples could be loaded with copper up to 3.3 wt%. An optimum combination of hydrothermal stability and catalytic activity was obtained with N,N'-bis-dimethylpentanediyldiammonium dibromide as structure-directing agent.

Dynamic Change of Active Sites of Supported Vanadia Catalysts for Selective Catalytic Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides

Selective catalytic reduction of NOx by ammonia (NH₃-SCR) on V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalysts is a widely used commercial technology in power plants and diesel vehicles due to its high elimination efficiency for NOx removal. However, the mechanistic aspects of the NH₃-SCR reaction, especially the active sites on the V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalysts, are still a puzzle. Herein, using combined operando spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, we found that the reactivity of the Lewis acid site was significantly overestimated due to its conversion to the Brønsted acid site. Such interconversion makes it challenging to measure the intrinsic reactivity of different acid sites accurately. In contrast, the abundant V-OH Brønsted acid sites govern the overall NOx reduction rate in realistic exhaust containing water vapor. Moreover, the vanadia species cycle between V⁵⁺═O and V⁴⁺-OH during NOx reduction, and the re-oxidation of V⁴⁺ species to form V⁵⁺ is the rate-determining step.

Selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH3: opportunities and challenges of Cu-based small-pore zeolites

Zeolites, as efficient and stable catalysts, are widely used in the environmental catalysis field. Typically, Cu-SSZ-13 with small-pore structure shows excellent catalytic activity for selective catalytic reduction of NO _x with ammonia (NH₃-SCR) as well as high hydrothermal stability. This review summarizes major advances in Cu-SSZ-13 applied to the NH₃-SCR reaction, including the state of copper species, standard and fast SCR reaction mechanism, hydrothermal deactivation mechanism, poisoning resistance and synthetic methodology. The review gives a valuable summary of new insights into the matching between SCR catalyst design principles and the characteristics of Cu²⁺-exchanged zeolitic catalysts, highlighting the significant opportunity presented by zeolite-based catalysts. Principles for designing zeolites with excellent NH₃-SCR performance and hydrothermal stability are proposed. On the basis of these principles, more hydrothermally stable Cu-AEI and Cu-LTA zeolites are elaborated as well as other alternative zeolites applied to NH₃-SCR. Finally, we call attention to the challenges facing Cu-based small-pore zeolites that still need to be addressed.

Advances in Catalytic Applications of Zeolite-Supported Metal Catalysts

Zeolites possessing large specific surface areas, ordered micropores, and adjustable acidity/basicity have emerged as ideal supports to immobilize metal species with small sizes and high dispersities. In recent years, the zeolite-supported metal catalysts have been widely used in diverse catalytic processes, showing excellent activity, superior thermal/hydrothermal stability, and unique shape-selectivity. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the state-of-the-art achievements in catalytic applications of zeolite-supported metal catalysts are presented for important heterogeneous catalytic processes in the last five years, mainly including 1) the hydrogenation reactions (e.g., CO/CO₂ hydrogenation, hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds, and hydrogenation of nitrogenous compounds); 2) dehydrogenation reactions (e.g., alkane dehydrogenation and dehydrogenation of chemical hydrogen storage materials); 3) oxidation reactions (e.g., CO oxidation, methane oxidation, and alkene epoxidation); and 4) other reactions (e.g., hydroisomerization reaction and selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with ammonia reaction). Finally, some current limitations and future perspectives on the challenge and opportunity for this subject are pointed out. It is believed that this review will inspire more innovative research on the synthesis and catalysis of zeolite-supported metal catalysts and promote their future developments to meet the emerging demands for practical applications.

Opportunities and challenges in the development of advanced materials for emission control catalysts

Advances in engine technologies are placing additional demands on emission control catalysts, which must now perform at lower temperatures, but at the same time be robust enough to survive harsh conditions encountered in engine exhaust. In this Review, we explore some of the materials concepts that could revolutionize the technology of emission control systems. These include single-atom catalysts, two-dimensional materials, three-dimensional architectures, core@shell nanoparticles derived via atomic layer deposition and via colloidal synthesis methods, and microporous oxides. While these materials provide enhanced performance, they will need to overcome many challenges before they can be deployed for treating exhaust from cars and trucks. We assess the state of the art for catalysing reactions related to emission control and also consider radical breakthroughs that could potentially completely transform this field.

Recent progress in the improvement of hydrothermal stability of zeolites

Zeolites have been successfully employed in many catalytic reactions of industrial relevance. The severe conditions required in some processes, where high temperatures are frequently combined with the presence of steam, highlight the need of considering the evolution of the catalyst structure during the reaction. This review attempts to summarize the recently developed strategies to improve the hydrothermal framework stability of zeolites.

High NH3-SCR reaction rate with low dependence on O2 partial pressure over Al-rich Cu-*BEA zeolite

Dependence of NH₃-SCR reaction rate on O₂ partial pressure was investigated at 473 K over Cu ion-exchanged MOR, MFI, CHA and *BEA zeolites with varying “Cu density in micropores”. Among the zeolites, Cu–*BEA zeolite demonstrated promising potential as an effective catalyst for NH₃-SCR over a wide range of O₂ partial pressure.

It was revealed that Al-rich Cu–*BEA zeolite exhibit high reaction rate for NH₃-SCR at 473 K in low P_O2 reaction condition.

Kinetic and spectroscopic insights into the behaviour of Cu active site for NH3-SCR over zeolites with several topologies

Zeolite topology has a great effect on the dependence of NH₃-SCR rates over Cu–zeolites at 473 K on Cu density. It is revealed by the time-resolved UV-vis measurements that zeolites mainly affect the oxidation property of Cu ion by O₂.

In situ imaging of two-dimensional surface growth reveals the prevalence and role of defects in zeolite crystallization

Zeolite crystallization predominantly occurs by nonclassical pathways involving the attachment of complex (alumino)silicate precursors to crystal surfaces, yet recurrent images of fully crystalline materials with layered surfaces are evidence of classical growth by molecule attachment. Here we use in situ atomic force microscopy to monitor three distinct mechanisms of two-dimensional (2D) growth of zeolite A where we show that layer nucleation from surface defects is the most common pathway. Direct observation of defects was made possible by the identification of conditions promoting layered growth, which correlates to the use of sodium as an inorganic structure-directing agent, whereas its replacement with an organic results in a nonclassical mode of growth that obscures 2D layers and markedly slows the rate of crystallization. In situ measurements of layered growth reveal that undissolved silica nanoparticles in the synthesis medium can incorporate into advancing steps on crystal surfaces to generate defects (i.e., amorphous silica occlusions) that largely go undetected in literature. Nanoparticle occlusion in natural and synthetic crystals is a topic of wide-ranging interest owing to its relevance in fields spanning from biomineralization to the rational design of functional nanocomposites. In this study, we provide unprecedented insight into zeolite surface growth by molecule addition through time-resolved microscopy that directly captures the occlusion of silica nanoparticles and highlights the prevalent role of defects in zeolite crystallization.

Fe-Exchanged Small-Pore Zeolites as Ammonia Selective Catalytic Reduction (NH3-SCR) Catalysts

Cu-exchanged small-pore zeolites have been extensively studied in the past decade as state-of-the-art selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts for diesel engine exhaust NOx abatement for the transportation industry. During this time, Fe-exchanged small-pore zeolites, e.g., Fe/SSZ-13, Fe/SAPO-34, Fe/SSZ-39 and high-silica Fe/LTA, have also been investigated but much less extensively. In comparison to their Cu-exchanged counterparts, such Fe/zeolite catalysts display inferior low-temperature activities, but improved stability and high-temperature SCR selectivities. Such characteristics entitle these catalysts to be considered as key components of highly efficient emission control systems to improve the overall catalyst performance. In this short review, recent studies on Fe-exchanged small-pore zeolite SCR catalysts are summarized, including (1) the synthesis of small-pore Fe/zeolites; (2) nature of the SCR active Fe species in these catalysts as determined by experimental and theoretical approaches, including Fe species transformation during hydrothermal aging; (3) SCR reactions and structure-function correlations; and (4) a few aspects on industrial applications.

Advances in the Synthesis of Ferrierite Zeolite

As one of the most important porous materials, zeolites with intricate micropores have been widely employed as catalysts for decades due to their large pore volume, high surface area, and good thermal and hydrothermal stabilities. Among them, ferrierite (FER) zeolite with a two-dimensional micropore structure is an excellent heterogeneous catalyst for isomerization, carbonylation, cracking, and so on. In the past years, considering the important industrial application of FER zeolite, great efforts have been made to improve the synthesis of FER zeolite and thus decrease the synthesis cost and enhance catalytic performance. In this review, we briefly summarize the advances in the synthesis of FER zeolite including the development of synthesis routes, the use of organic templates, organotemplate-free synthesis, the strategies of morphology control, and the creation of intra-crystalline mesopores. Furthermore, the synthesis of hetero-atomic FER zeolites such as Fe-FER and Ti-FER has been discussed.

Efficient recovery of Cu(II) by LTA-zeolites with hierarchical pores and their resource utilization in electrochemical denitrification: Environmentally friendly design and reutilization of waste in water

Water pollution seriously endangers human health and the environment. Here we prepared and tested mesoporous LTA zeolites for the adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous media and the captured copper was further used for electrochemical nitrate reduction. The prepared hierarchically porous LTA exhibited a high capacity (341.5 mg g^-1) for Cu(II) adsorption, following the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models well. The Cu-LTA sample was characterised by various analytical methods, and Cu(I) species were identified as the active sites for nitrate electrochemical reduction. Based on the spectral characterization and reducibility, strong metal-support interaction was found between copper and LTA, which is beneficial to the dispersion of active sites and their contacts with nitrates. In total, 10.1 g-N-NO₃ g^-1-Cu was reduced over the Cu-LTA-modified cathode in a three-electrode system with high N₂ selectivity (92.1 %). Compared to purely microporous zeolites, mesoporous LTA has a higher capacity for Cu(II) removal and nitrate reduction. The mesoporous structure allows easy access to the inner active sites with low diffusion resistance. The low Tafel slope and high current density confirm the high activity of the mesoporous Cu-LTA, making it a promising and efficient material for the removal and reuse of heavy metal ions.

Evolution of D6R units in the interzeolite transformation from FAU, MFI or *BEA into AEI: transfer or reassembly?

The formation and evolution of building units for zeolites play an important role during crystallization.

Rediscovery of the Importance of Inorganic Synthesis Parameters in the Search for New Zeolites

Zeolites and related crystalline microporous materials with cavities and channels of molecular dimensions are of major importance for applications ranging from ion-exchange to adsorption and to catalysis. Because their unique shape-selective properties are closely related to the size, shape, and dimensionality of the intracrystalline channels and cavities, much interest has been devoted to the discovery of novel zeolitic materials over the last several decades. As a result, a dramatic expansion in the structural domain of crystalline microporous materials, as well as in their compositional range, has been achieved. This is largely due to the development of innovative synthetic strategies, for example, organic structure-directing agent (OSDA) design, introduction of heteroatoms like Ge in OSDA-mediated zeolite synthesis, topotactic transformation of two-dimensional layered zeolite precursors, assembly-disassembly-organization-reassembly method, etc. However, although many of these methodologies are quite successful in finding unprecedented zeolite structures, the resulting materials tend to be (hydro)thermally unstable and are often commercially impractical from a manufacturing perspective because of the high cost of the OSDA and/or heteroatom employed. Therefore, we focused on inorganic synthesis parameters as the key phase selectivity factor that has received relatively little attention in the search for new industrially relevant zeolites. This Account describes our recent efforts to find previously undiscovered aluminosilicate zeolites by boosting the roles of inorganic structure-directing agents (ISDAs) in the presence of OSDAs. They include the multiple inorganic cation and excess fluoride approaches, which aim to promote a synergistic cooperation between ISDAs and/or OSDAs and thus to hold a rational design concept, although the latter is not friendly to the practical zeolite manufacturing process due to the toxicity of fluoride. Using these two approaches, we were able to synthesize not only the second generation (PST-29) and four higher generations (PST-20 (RHO-G5), PST-25 (RHO-G6), PST-26 (RHO-G7), and PST-28 (RHO-G8)) of the RHO family of embedded isoreticular zeolites but also three other novel zeolite structures (EU-12, PST-21, and PST-22). We also explored the synthesis of a number of heteroatom-containing aluminophosphate (AlPO₄) molecular sieves with different framework structures and unusually high framework charge density through the cooperative structure direction of alkali metal and small OSDA cations or under wholly inorganic conditions. Although we need to clarify the nature and extent of interactions between the inorganic cations and framework components in synthesis mixtures, we believe that our synthetic concepts, shedding new light on the importance of inorganic synthesis parameters, will open a door for achieving many other novel zeolite structures and compositions.

Recent advances in the preparation of zeolites for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx in diesel engines

Metal-exchanged zeolites with small pore sizes have attracted much attention in recent years due to their application in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx in diesel engines.

Iron-exchanged high-silica LTA zeolites as hydrothermally stable NH3-SCR catalysts

Iron-exchanged high-silica LTA zeolites exhibit high activity for selective catalytic reduction of NO_x by NH₃, even after hydrothermal aging at 900 °C.

Cu-exchanged RTH-type zeolites for NH3-selective catalytic reduction of NOx: Cu distribution and hydrothermal stability

The Cu-exchanged RTH-type zeolites (Cu-RTH) were applied in ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) of NO_x.

Nanocrystalline H-RTH Zeolite: An Efficient Catalyst for the Low-Temperature Dehydration of Ethanol to Ethene

The low-temperature dehydration of bioethanol is an environmentally benign route to ethene production. Here we compare the catalytic properties of a series of cage-based small-pore zeolites with different framework structures, acid strengths, and/or crystallite sizes for ethanol dehydration at 200 °C under wet conditions (H₂ O/EtOH=0.2). Among the zeolites studied here, nanocrystalline H-RTH was found to be considerably more effective than H-mordenite, the best catalyst for this reaction known to date, which can be rationalized by product shape selectivity. Whereas the acidity of this zeolite also plays a crucial role in selectively forming ethene, its nanocrystallinity is primarily responsible for the observed high catalyst durability.

Small-Pore Zeolites: Synthesis and Catalysis

In the past decade or so, small-pore zeolites have received greater attention than large- and medium-pore molecular sieves that have historically dominated the literature. This is primarily due to the commercialization of two major catalytic processes, NOx exhaust removal and methanol conversion to light olefins, that take advantage of the properties of these materials with smaller apertures. Small-pore zeolites possess pores that are constructed of eight tetrahedral atoms (Si⁴⁺ and Al³⁺), each time linked by a shared oxygen These eight-member ring pores (8MR) provide small molecules access to the intracrystalline void space, e.g., to NOx during car exhaust cleaning (NOx removal) or to methanol en route to its conversion into light olefins, while restricting larger molecule entrance and departure that is critical to overall catalyst performance. In total, there are forty-four structurally different small-pore zeolites. Forty-one of these zeolites can be synthesized, and the first synthetic zeolite (KFI, 1948) was in fact a small-pore material. Although the field of 8MR zeolite chemistry has expanded in many directions, the progress in synthesis is framework-specific, leaving insights and generalizations difficult to realize. This review first focuses on the relevant synthesis details of all 8MR zeolites and provides some generalized findings and related insights. Next, catalytic applications where 8MR zeolites either have been commercialized or have dominated investigations are presented, with the aim of providing structure-activity relationships. The review ends with a summary that discusses (i) both synthetic and catalytic progress, (ii) a list of opportunities in the 8MR zeolite field, and (iii) a brief future outlook.

Crystal Engineering for Catalysis

Crystal engineering relies upon the ability to predictively control intermolecular interactions during the assembly of crystalline materials in a manner that leads to a desired (and predetermined) set of properties. Economics, scalability, and ease of design must be leveraged with techniques that manipulate the thermodynamics and kinetics of crystal nucleation and growth. It is often challenging to exact simultaneous control over multiple physicochemical properties, such as crystal size, habit, chirality, polymorph, and composition. Engineered materials often rely upon postsynthesis (top-down) processes to introduce properties that would otherwise be challenging to attain through direct (bottom-up) approaches. We discuss the application of crystal engineering to heterogeneous catalysts with a focus on four general themes: ( a) tailored nanocrystal size, ( b) controlled environments surrounding active sites, ( c) tuned morphology with well-defined facets, and ( d) hierarchical materials with disparate pore size and active site distributions. We focus on nonporous materials, including metals and metal oxides, and two classes of porous materials: zeolites and metal organic frameworks. We review novel synthesis methods involving synergistic experimental and computational design approaches, the challenges facing catalyst development, and opportunities for future advancement in crystal engineering.

Synthesis and structure determination via ultra-fast electron diffraction of the new microporous zeolitic germanosilicate ITQ-62

A new multipore zeolite of 12–8 × 8 × 8 channel system, named ITQ-62, has been synthesized and its structure solved using electron diffraction tomography.

Operando Spectroscopic Studies of Cu-SSZ-13 for NH3-SCR deNOx Investigates the Role of NH3 in Observed Cu(II) Reduction at High NO Conversions

The small pore zeolite chabazite (SSZ-13) in the copper exchanged form is a very efficient material for the selective catalytic reduction by ammonia (NH₃) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the exhaust of lean burn engines, typically diesel powered vehicles. The full mechanism occurring during the NH₃–SCR process is currently debated with outstanding questions including the nature and role of the catalytically active sites. Time-resolved operando spectroscopic techniques have been used to provide new level of insights in to the mechanism of NH₃–SCR, to show that the origin of stable Cu(I) species under SCR conditions is potentially caused by an interaction between NH₃ and the Cu cations located in eight ring sites of the bulk of the zeolite and is independent of the NH₃–SCR of NOx occurring at Cu six ring sites within the zeolite.