Fly ash based zeolite analogues: versatile materials for energy and environment conservation

Fly ash is combustion residue from burning of pulverised coal in electric utility generating stations. The annual production of fly ash in India is around 100 MTPA and is responsible for several environmental hazards, which is quite well documented. There are stringent norms for its land disposal and hence utilisation of fly ash is imperative. Fly ash has more than 85% of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ content and is therefore a tailor made raw material for production of zeolite. An innovative process has been developed for synthesis of zeolites using fly ash as a substitute for conventional raw materials viz. sodium silicate and aluminate. The process consists of three major steps viz. fusion of caustic soda and fly ash for optimal extraction of silicate and aluminate, aging step which provides time for formation of nuclei and hydrothermal crystallization resulting in activation of nuclei into well defined crystals. Low temperature operation, simplicity of process and optimal recycling of unused reactants and process water are special features of these processes. Zeolites have high internal and external surface areas and also exhibit high exchange capacities, which makes them versatile materials for targeting wide range of pollutants, ranging from cationic to anionic and hydrophilic to hydrophobic molecules. The major uses of zeolites are in adsorption, ion exchange and as catalysts. The use of zeolites in environmental remediation is restricted due to procurement problem and prohibitive cost, which can be overcome by using low cost fly ash based zeolites (FAZs). The synthesis of FAZ-A and FAZ-Y and their modifications either by transition metal incorporation or by surfactant treatment for various environmental applications in air, water and soil remediation are addressed in this review.     

干胶法合成分子筛

相对于传统的水热合成法,干胶法(dry gel conversion,DGC)合成分子筛具有产量高、废液量少等优势。本文综述了近十年来DGC合成分子筛的研究进展。以水为线索,总结了外加水和固有水(指原料干胶所含的水)在DGC中对分子筛的生长、晶相的转换与物化性质的影响,论述了在DGC条件下分子筛的生长过程和晶化机理,介绍了DGC在介孔-微孔复合分子筛、分子筛膜、单块材料等新型分子筛材料合成中的一些实例。     

用工业固体废料合成沸石分子筛的研究进展

系统总结了以工业固体废料为原料合成沸石分子筛材料的最新研究进展, 讨论了以粉煤灰、 珍珠岩工业废料、 煤矸石、 流体催化裂化(FCC)废催化剂、 锂矿渣、 铝土矿渣、 废瓷料和废弃玻璃等工业固体废料为原料, 合成LTA, FAU, MFI, CHA, GIS, SOD, ANA和KFI沸石分子筛材料的工艺方法, 及其在污水中重金属离子的脱除、 空气中CO₂的捕获、 氮氧化物的选择性还原等实际应用中的性能, 并对未来工业固体废料合成沸石分子筛的发展趋势进行了展望.     

Shape-selective catalysis and process technology via molecular inclusion in zeolites

The use of zeolites in shape-selective catalysis is a field which has experienced rapid growth in recent years both as regards the development of new concepts and the applications in petrochemical process technology. This review article is intended to introduce the catalytic concepts and process technology involved, with ample use of examples, rather than to provide a comprehensive coverage of the field.An introduction to the subject matter is given by discussing zeolite composition and structure, active sites for catalysis and diffusion phenomena. The various types of shape selective catalysis are discussed, i.e., reactant, restricted transition state and product selectivity. The process technology discussion covers topics such as catalytic dewaxing, methanol conversion and aromatics synthesis. Finally, future trends are discussed which indicate that there is scope for further exciting developments in shape-selective catalytic chemistry and applications in process technology.     

羟基自由基在沸石分子筛合成中的作用

沸石分子筛由于具有独特的形选催化作用及可调的酸性, 已成为化学工业中最重要的固体催化材料. 沸石分子筛的合成主要基于碱性条件下的水热晶化, OH^?被认为起到催化硅铝物种的解聚及聚合作用. 近年来, 研究者发现了羟基自由基加速分子筛的水热晶化机制. 通过利用紫外光照射或芬顿反应等物理或化学方法向分子筛合成体系引入羟基自由基, 可以实现沸石分子筛的加速晶化及高硅沸石分子筛的合成. 理论计算结果表明, 羟基自由基可以促进Si—O—Si 键的断裂和重新生成, 从而显著加快分子筛成核并促进硅原子进入骨架. 本综述介绍了羟基自由基在沸石分子筛晶化方面的最新研究进展, 探讨了羟基自由基的主要作用和优势, 并对沸石分子筛合成的羟基自由基路线发展前景进行了展望.     

Continuous flow synthesis of porous materials

Porous materials play an important role in chemical catalysis,separation and other industrial applications.High-efficiency preparation of porous materials has become an active research area.Conventional synthesis of porous materials has been dominated by one-pot solution processing conditions carried out by bulk mixing under conventional electric heating via hydrothermal,solvothermal or ionothermal reactions where high temperatures and pressures are the standard.Continuous flow synthesis has many key advantages in terms of efficient mass and heat transfer,precise control of residence times,improved opportunities for automation and feedback control of synthesis,scaling-up reactions and improved safety parameters compared to above mentioned conventional batch scale synthetic methods.In this review,continuous flow synthesis of various crystalline porous materials such as metal-organic frameworks(MOFs),covalent-organic frameworks(COFs),porous organic cages and zeolites is discussed.Combination of microfluidic methods with other techniques are also shown including various heating ways and various methods of substrate adding.     

Inorganic molecular sieves: Preparation,modification and industrial application in catalytic processes

The increasing environmental concern and promotion of “green processes” are forcing the substitution of traditional acid and base homogeneous catalysts by solid ones. Among these heterogeneous catalysts, zeolites and zeotypes can be considered as real “green” catalysts, due to their benign nature from an environmental point of view. The importance of these inorganic molecular sieves within the field of heterogeneous catalysis relies not only on their microporous structure and the related shape selectivity, but also on the flexibility of their chemical composition. Modification of the zeolite framework composition results in materials with acidic, basic or redox properties, whereas multifunctional catalysts can be obtained by introducing metals by ion exchange or impregnation procedures, that can catalyze hydrogenation–dehydrogenation reactions, and the number of commercial applications of zeolite based catalysts is continuously expanding.In this review we discuss determinant issues for the development of zeolite based catalysts, going from zeolite catalyst preparation up to their industrial application. Concerning the synthesis of microporous materials we present some of the new trends moving into larger pore structures or into organic free synthesis media procedures, thanks to the incorporation of novel organic templates or alternative framework elements, and to the use of high-throughput synthesis methods. Post-synthesis zeolite modification and final catalyst conformation for industrial use are briefly discussed.In a last section we give a thorough overview on the application of zeolites in industrial processes. Some of them are well established mature technologies, such as fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking or aromatics alkylation. Although the number of zeolite structures commercially used as heterogeneous catalysts in these fields is limited, the development of new catalysts is a continuous challenge due to the need for processing heavier feeds or for increasing the quality of the products. The application of zeolite based catalysts in the production of chemicals and fine chemicals is an emerging field, and will greatly depend on the discovery of new or known structures by alternative, lower cost, synthesis routes, and the fine tuning of their textural properties. Finally, biomass conversion and selective catalytic reduction for conversion of NOx are two active research fields, highlighting the interest in these potential industrial applications.     

介孔分子筛的酸性和水热稳定性

介孔分子筛材料在催化、吸附与分离以及化学组装制备先进材料和分子器件等方面具有潜在的应用价值.但是,由于介孔分子筛材料较低的水热稳定性和较弱的酸性,极大地影响了其在催化研究中的广泛应用.本文系统地综述了最近几年在提高介孔分子筛酸性和水热稳定性的研究工作.其中包括:(1)将超酸组份负载于介孔分子筛的孔道中以达到提高介孔分子筛材料的酸强度的目的;(2)通过在合成介孔分子筛的过程中加入无机盐和有机胺等助剂或采用合适的后处理方法以提高介孔分子筛的水热稳定性;(3)通过新型模板剂来合成具有较高水热稳定性的介孔分子筛材料;(4)利用具有沸石分子筛基本结构单元的沸石分子筛导向剂与表面活性剂自组装来合成具有强酸中心和高温水热稳定的介孔分子筛材料.     

金属负载型分子筛催化剂在NH3-SCR反应中水热稳定性的研究进展

NO_x控制是目前大气污染控制领域的重要研究内容，NH₃选择性催化还原技术（NH₃-SCR）是消除NO_x最有效的技术之一，其核心是高性能催化剂的开发。本研究综述了金属负载型分子筛催化剂（Cu基和Fe基分子筛催化剂）的NH₃-SCR活性、水热稳定性以及水热老化失活机制，并对影响催化剂水热稳定性的因素（包括Si/Al比、分子筛拓扑结构、活性金属负载量、粒径和合成方法等）进行了系统阐述，总结了一些有效提高催化剂水热稳定性的改性方法，比如磷改性、第二活性金属改性、碱金属改性和外表面改性等。最后，对进一步提高金属负载型分子筛催化剂在NH₃-SCR反应中的水热稳定性进行了展望。     

A review on synthesis of kaolin-based zeolite and the effect of impurities

Zeolite is extensively synthesized for the application in a large variety of catalysis processes such as ion exchange, hydrocarbon cracking, and organic synthesis. In order to satisfy the serious terms of sustainability that denotes to the reduction of costs and chemical waste, kaolinite-based zeolites were produced from cheap natural resources as against to the conventional process that employs pure sodium silicate and sodium aluminate. This review paper is to highlight the current trends in the synthesis of zeolite. Prior to previous reviews, great concern is focused on the impurities effect on the catalytic performance of kaolinite-based zeolites. This study reveals that the impact of impurities in a catalytic reaction was in fact, underestimated or neglected. For instance, it was found that Fe ion concentration as small as 60 ppm gives significant catalytic output. Hence, a new practice to report the concentration of impurities in the research publication is suggested. This undoubtedly will generate a better interpretation of the catalytic activity from the zeolite framework.     

Synthesis and Properties of Zeolites from Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Waste

Syntheses routes for the conversion of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) waste into aluminosilicate zeolites like LTA and related phases were developed. The procedures always started with leaching steps of the pure AAC waste by combinations of strong alkaline (NaOH) and mild acid (citric acid) treatments, before the real crystallization process was performed separately under addition of sodium aluminate. All products were characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX‐analysis) and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Zeolites LTA and related phases basic sodalite (SOD), hydrosodalite (SOD), cancrinite (CAN) and an intermediate phase between SOD and CAN were observed. Depending on the preparation route tailor made synthesis of pure phase zeolite LTA with crystal sizes up to 5 μm was worked out. In addition to syntheses procedures important properties of the zeolites were discussed with respect to the treatment procedure of AAC. It is shown, that the special synthesis pathway is not only responsible for the product composition and formation of a certain structure type but also exhibits a strong influence on the crystallinity, crystal size, and morphology. The water sorption capacity and the hydrothermal stability of the products were selected for those further investigations. Whereas adequate water sorption capacity up to 272 mg · g^–1 were measured for zeolites LTA obtained from two different reaction routes, limited hydrothermal stabilities were revealed for other products. Under the conditions of strong hydrothermal treatment at a temperature of 473 K for 72 h, a more or less extended phase transformation into ANA‐Type zeolites occurred. This process was least extensive for pure phase zeolite LTA obtained from the alkaline solution of AAC leaching.     

Zeolites—from kitchen to space

Zeolites have been synthesized by a new concept of in-situ conversion of artificial glasses of zeolite composition with water as reaction medium under the influence of temperature and pressure. These synthesis conditions, which lead to a direct correlation between the educt and zeolite product, give the possibility of zeolite preparation under conditions comparable to nature. Natural zeolites phases can be synthesized with this method which are, until now, not accessible for synthesis by conventional sol-gel processing or other methods. The specific synthesis acts as key for new applications in all fields of human life, as zeolite properties can now be trimmed to particular applications and special application conditions. Some of these approaches will be presented in this article.     

Co-pyrolysis of biomass and waste plastics for production of chemicals and liquid fuel: A review on the role of plastics and catalyst types

The increasing global fuel consumption and growing environmental concerns are the impetuses to explore alternative energy that is clean and renewable for fuel production. Converting biomass and plastic waste into high-value fuel and chemicals via co-pyrolysis technique may provide a sustainable remediation to this problem. This review critically discussed the influence of various types of plastic wastes as co-reactant in co-pyrolysis with biomass on the product distribution, synergistic effect, and quality of bio-oil. The outcome of this review revealed that the addition of plastic enhanced the yield and quality of bio-oil and inhibited the production of oxygenated compound and coke formation. Next, the critical role of zeolite-based catalyst (microporous, mesoporous, hierarchical, and metal modified zeolite) and low-cost mineral-based catalyst in upgrading the yield and quality of liquid fuel were compared and discussed. The characteristic, synthesis method, strength, and limitation of each catalyst in upgrading the products were summarized. Hierarchical zeolites can resolve the problems of mass transfer, and diffusion limitation of large molecules into active sites associated with conventional zeolite due to the combination of two levels of porosity. Finally, the potential challenges and future directions for this technique were also suggested.     

Direct Synthesis of An Aluminosilicate POS Zeolite with Intersecting 12×11×11-Member-Ring Pore Channels by Using a Designed Organic Structure-Directing Agent

Large and extra-large pore zeolites have been widely applied in industrial areas as catalysts, adsorbents, etc. Among them, silica and/or aluminosilicate zeolites have been attracted great attention due to their excellent hydrothermal stability and strong acidity. However, a great deal of zeolite structures are still not available in the form of silica and/or aluminosilicate. Herein, we report the synthesis of pure silica and aluminosilicate large-pore zeolites, denoted as NUD-14 and Al-NUD-14, respectively, by using a designed cation 1-ethyl-4-phenylpyridinium as an organic structure-directing agent (OSDA). NUD-14 has an intersecting 12×11×11-member ring pore system, which is isostructural to the germanosilicate PUK-16 zeolite with a POS topology. The OSDAs can be completely removed from the framework by calcination. NUD-14 and Al-NUD-14 possess excellent acid and hydrothermal stabilities, superior to the germanosilicate POS zeolite. The incorporation of Al into the zeolite framework makes the Al-NUD-14 zeolite possess medium and strong acidities. The successful synthesis of NUD-14 consisting of a rare odd-member ring pore structure may provide a platform for interesting size- and shape-selective catalytic applications.     

Synthesis of zeolites from coal fly ash: application of a statistical experimental design

With the intention of decreasing the experimental test runs during the optimization of synthesis of zeolites from fly ash, a 2⁴ full-factorial experimental design was applied in this study. The preparation parameters that had showed significant influence on the synthesis of pure phase zeolite Na-P1 using one-step-at-a-time experimental approach were included, but extended also to those parameters of importance identified in the literature. At the same time, it was important that the levels of variation of parameters not be restricted to the conditions where a pure phase of zeolite Na-P1 was formed. The four synthesis variables investigated were; NaOH concentration (NaOH:SiO₂ molar ratio ranged between 0.35 and 0.71), ageing temperature (35?C55°C), hydrothermal treatment time (36?C60?h) and temperature (130?C150°C). The results obtained were assessed by the improvement in the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the obtained zeolite, which showed that the phase purity is strictly controlled by the synthesis conditions. In the end, this approach provided sufficient understanding of the relationship between product properties and the four synthesis parameters, which took into account the individual effects as well as linear and nonlinear interacting phenomena. From the analysis, it was found that the main effects were ageing temperature and hydrothermal treatment time and temperature, which showed some interactions among each other.     

有机空间位阻剂对NaP分子筛的调控作用

以粉煤灰中提取出的硅酸钠和铝酸钠为原料,通过水热合成法制备NaP型分子筛。通过正交实验优化了晶化时间、晶化温度和溶液硅水比等工艺参数,提出了通过空间位阻效应调控晶粒生长过程的方法,探索了结构空间位阻作用对NaP型分子筛生长过程晶型、粒径的调控规律。采用XRD、FI-IR、SEM、BET等手段对产物的晶型、粒径和形貌进行表征,并对不同条件下制备的NaP型分子筛的吸附性能进行了评价。结果表明,水热反应体系中引入空间位阻效应能有效调控Na P型分子筛的形貌和粒径;空间位阻效应的影响规律为环状结构链状结构,长链结构短链结构。吸附性能测试表明,Zn~(2+)有效吸附去除率可达99.8%。     

Synthesis of FER Zeolite Using 4-(Aminomethyl) pyridine as Structure-directing Agent

This paper describes the synthesis of FER zeolite using commercially available 4-(aminomethyl)pyridine as organic structure-directing agent(OSDA). FER zeolites were prepared in mixtures with SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratios in a narrow range and the resultant products possessed a typical flake-shaped morphology. The crystallization of FER zeolite was tracked in order to better understand the formation mechanism and the products obtained at different crystallization time were systematically characterized using multiple techniques. It showed that a majority of Si atoms and nearly all the Al atoms transformed into the solid phase during the hydrothermal synthesis. The rearrangement of inorganic species gave rise to zeolitic 5-membered rings(5-MRs) and 6-membered rings(6-MRs). Consequently, FER zeolite crystals were formed by the consumption of amorphous bulky gel/solid matrix. Tracking the synthesis process of FER can help.     

Waterborne Polyurethane Dispersions and Thin Films: Biodegradation and Antimicrobial Behaviors

Biodegradable and antimicrobial waterborne polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) and their casted solid films have recently emerged as important alternatives to their solvent-based and non-biodegradable counterparts for various applications due to their versatility, health, and environmental friendliness. The nanoscale morphology of the PUDs, dispersion stability, and the thermomechanical properties of the solid films obtained from the solvent cast process are strongly dependent on several important parameters, such as the preparation method, polyols, diisocyanates, solid content, chain extension, and temperature. The biodegradability, biocompatibility, antimicrobial properties and biomedical applications can be tailored based on the nature of the polyols, polarity, as well as structure and concentration of the internal surfactants (anionic or cationic). This review article provides an important quantitative experimental basis and structure evolution for the development and synthesis of biodegradable waterborne PUDs and their solid films, with prescribed macromolecular properties and new functions, with the aim of understanding the relationships between polymer structure, properties, and performance. The review article will also summarize the important variables that control the thermomechanical properties and biodegradation kinetics, as well as antimicrobial and biocompatibility behaviors of aqueous PUDs and their films, for certain industrial and biomedical applications.     

纳米多级孔分子筛：简短的综述

分子筛是一种三维微孔结构的硅铝酸盐晶体,具有灵活多变的骨架和组成、较高的物理和水热稳定性、无毒、高比表面积、离子可交换性以及很低的成本等特点,因而在油品精制、石油化学、农业、水和污水处理等众多领域中用作离子交换剂、催化剂和吸附剂。尽管分子筛的应用是基于其本身的微孔结构,但微孔也导致体积较大的反应物和产物分子的传质阻力高。通过制备纳米尺度和多级孔结构的分子筛等多种手段可克服常规分子筛所具有的传质限制。人们已经开发了多种方法制备了新型的分子筛材料,并考察了它们在各种催化反应和吸附反应中的性能。在反应体系中采用这种多级孔的纳米分子筛,有可能提高催化剂的使用寿命和催化性能,抑制积碳和失活。本综述概述了多级孔分子筛和纳米分子筛的高性能及其合成方法的最新进展,讨论了每个合成方法的优缺点,简述了纳米分子筛和二级孔结构分子筛的催化应用,并与常规分子筛进行了比较。     

Hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2 nanorods: formation chemistry,growth mechanism,and tailoring of surface properties for photocatalytic activities

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is one of the best semiconductor photocatalysts with optical band gap of 3.2 eV. The optical band gap and photocatalytic properties could be further tuned by tailoring shape, size, composition, and morphology of the nanostructures. Hydrothermal synthesis methods have been applied to produce well-controlled nanostructured TiO₂ materials with different morphologies and improved optoelectronic properties. Among various morphologies, one-dimensional (1D) TiO₂ nanostructures are of great importance in the field of energy, environmental, and biomedical because of the directional transmission properties resulting from their 1D geometry. Particularly, TiO₂ nanorods (NRs) have gained special attention because of their densely packed structure, quantum confinement effect, high aspect ratio, and large specific surface area that could specially improve the directional charge transmission efficiency. This results in the effective photogenerated charge separation and light absorption, which are really important for potential applications of TiO₂-based materials for photocatalytic and other important applications. In this review, hydrothermal syntheses of TiO₂ NRs including the formation chemistry and the growth mechanism of NRs under different chemical environments and effects of various synthesis parameters (pH, reaction temperature, reaction time, precursors, solvents etc.) on morphology and optoelectronic properties have been discussed. Recent developments in the hydrothermal synthesis of TiO₂ NRs and tailoring of their surface properties through various modification strategies such as defect creation, doping, sensitization, surface coating, and heterojunction formation with various functional nanomaterials (plasmonic, oxide, quantum dots, graphene-based nanomaterials, etc.) have been reported to improve the photocatalytic activities. Furthermore, applications of TiO₂ NRs/tailored TiO₂ NRs as superior photocatalysts in degradation of organic pollutants and bacterial disinfection have been discussed with emphasis on mechanisms of action and recent advances in the fields.