Issue 5, 2020

Fabrication of a core–shell MFI@TON material and its enhanced catalytic performance for toluene alkylation

Abstract

Core–shell MFI@TON composites were designed and synthesized as a highly shape-selective catalyst for toluene alkylation with methanol by passivating the nonselective acid sites and tuning the diffusion behavior. The synthesis parameters were comprehensively investigated, indicating the importance of the Si/Al ratio compatibility of the ZSM-5 and ZSM-22 components on the formation of a core–shell structure. The synthesis process was systemically traced, which allowed the formulation of a crystallization mechanism involving the oriented crystal growth and selective fusion steps during the secondary crystallization. As a result, the MFI zeolites as the core were fully covered by the TON zeolites as the shell, yielding spherical morphology. When applied to toluene alkylation with methanol, the core–shell MFI@TON composite exhibited significantly improved para-xylene selectivity in comparison with the original, unattached, and physically mixed catalysts. The enhanced catalytic behaviors of the core–shell MFI@TON composite could be ascribed to the effective suppression of para-xylene isomerization as a result of the passivated acid sites on the external surface and the improved diffusion time and distance for the intermediates inside the channels due to the unique structure. The synthesis method for the MFI@TON composite described herein may provide a generic platform for the design of core–shell zeolites with potentially broader applicability to other porous materials with advanced applications.

Graphical abstract: Fabrication of a core–shell MFI@TON material and its enhanced catalytic performance for toluene alkylation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 out 2019
Accepted
15 jan 2020
First published
16 jan 2020

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2020,10, 1281-1291

Fabrication of a core–shell MFI@TON material and its enhanced catalytic performance for toluene alkylation

S. Liu, H. Zhang, H. Chen, Z. Chen, L. Zhang, J. Ren, X. Wen, Y. Yang and Y. Li, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2020, 10, 1281 DOI: 10.1039/C9CY02133G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements