Novel surfactant-free route to delaminated all-silica and titanosilicate zeolites derived from a layered borosilicate MWW precursor

Abstract

Layered borosilicate zeolite precursor ERB-1P (Si/B = 11) is delaminated via simultaneous deboronation and SDA removal, to yield material DZ-1 consisting of silanol nests, using a simple aqueous Zn(NO₃)₂ treatment. Characterization of this synthesis process by PXRD shows loss of long-range order, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrates transformation of rectilinear layers in the layered zeolite precursor to single and curved layers in the delaminated material. N₂ physisorption confirms the expected decrease of micropore volume and increase in external surface area for delaminated materials relative to their calcined 3D zeolite counterpart. Elemental analysis shows loss of B and absence of Zn in the delaminated material. Resonances corresponding to silanol nests are evident via²⁹Si solid-state NMR spectroscopy in DZ-1, which should be located within 12-MR pockets near the external surface. We have successfully utilized these nests as tetrahedral recognition sites for incorporation of Ti within an isolated framework coordination environment in material Ti-DZ-1. Diffuse-reflectance ultraviolet (DR-UV) spectroscopy of Ti-DZ-1 confirms isolated framework Ti sites, which are assigned to bands in the range of 210 nm–230 nm. Infrared spectra of Ti-DZ-1 consist of a distinct absorption band at 960 cm⁻¹, which is absent in DZ-1 prior to Ti incorporation and has been previously correlated with the presence of framework Ti species. Infrared spectra after pyridine adsorption demonstrate bands consistent with Lewis-acid sites in the resulting Ti-substituted delaminated zeolite. The accessibility of these Lewis-acid sites is confirmed when using Ti-DZ-1 as a catalyst for cyclohexene epoxidation using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the organic oxidant – a reaction for which both DZ-1 and TS-1 are inactive.