OSDA-free and seed-assisted synthesis of MOR/ZSM-5 co-crystallized zeolite for toluene alkylation with ethanol

Abstract

Recently, the research of co-crystallized zeolites and their application in heterogeneous catalysis are very active. Herein, the synthesis of MOR/ZSM-5 co-crystallized zeolites is achieved via a facile OSDA-free and seed-assistant hydrothermal method. The prepared samples are characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, N2 adsorption-desorption and 27Al/29Si MAS NMR to systematically evaluate the effects of crystallization time on the structural properties. The results reveal that the phase compositions of the crystalline products switch from ZSM-5 to co-crystallized MOR/ZSM-5 and finally to MOR with the extending of crystallization time from 12 to 72 h, where common composite building units play a vital role. Furthermore, the synthesized M/Z-48 catalyst exhibits a remarkable catalytic activity and stability in the alkylation of toluene with ethanol due to the reasonable acidity and textural properties provided by the composite structure of MOR and ZSM-5 zeolites.