Size-Controlled Synthesis of Nano-Zeolites and Their Application to Light Olefin Synthesis

Abstract

For the application of zeolites as heterogeneous catalysts, low diffusion resistance for hydrocarbons within the micropore is essential for improving product selectivity and catalyst lifetime. This problem has been overcome by reducing the crystal size. This review introduces size-controlled preparation of nano-sized zeolites via hydrothermal synthesis in water/surfactant/organic solvent (emulsion method) and their application to heterogeneous catalysts. The ionicity of the hydrophilic group in surfactant molecules and the concentration of the Si source affected the crystallinity and morphology of zeolites prepared using the emulsion method. When using a non-ionic surfactant, mono-dispersed silicalite-1 nanocrystals ~60 nm in diameter were successfully prepared. Nano- and macro-ZSM-5 zeolites with crystal sizes of ~150–200 nm and 1.5 μm, respectively, were prepared and applied to n-hexane cracking and acetone-to-olefin reactions to investigate the effect of zeolite crystal size on catalytic stability and light olefin yield. Application of nano-zeolite to light olefin production was effective in achieving faster mass transfer of hydrocarbon molecules within the micropore, which led to improvements in olefin yields and catalyst lifetime.