Lee Hsun Lecture Series

Topic: Catalytic applications of micro-/mesoporous hierarchical zeolites and metal-encapsulated zeolites

Speaker: Prof. Minkee Choi
          Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 
          Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Korea

Abstract:

Zeolites have found great industrial successes as a solid acid catalyst due to their molecular sieving effect as well as strong, controllable acid properties. In this sense, more rational design of zeolite crystallites with tailored molecular diffusion characteristics and spatial distribution of acid sites are highly important for advanced catalyst design. In particular, hierarchically meso-/microporous zeolites (or nanocrystalline zeolites) have recently attracted great scientific attention due to significantly enhanced molecular diffusion, high activity for bulky molecules, and slow deactivation behaviors as compared with conventional zeolites. In the first part of my lecture, I will make a brief overview on the synthesis, properties, and catalytic applications of these hierarchically porous zeolites [1-4]. In addition to the capability of zeolite as a solid acid, its microporous structure also can host other catalytically active materials such as metal clusters in a confined space, which can provide unique shape-selectivity. For instance, Pt encapsulated in small-pore zeolites can show shape selectivity during various hydrogenation reactions [5], and also can be used as an ideal model catalyst for studying controversial phenomena, hydrogen spillover [6,7]. In the second part of my work, I will introduce the synthesis methodology for metal-encapsulated zeolites and their catalytic applications.