Maximizing Diesel Production through Oligomerization: A Landmark Opportunity for Zeolite Research

High demand for diesel fuel has attracted researchers to revisit some refining processes. Hydrocracking and oligomerization are two targeted processes to produce diesel intensively. In this minireview, challenges in the acid-catalyzed oligomerization of olefins are briefly discussed. One-dimensional pore zeolites have been identified as potential catalytic materials for oligomerization. However, one-dimensional pore zeolites mostly suffer from a long diffusion path due to high crystal aspect ratio (length/width). Mass-transfer limitation are resolved by the development of more efficient catalysts; nanosized and hierarchical zeolites with the one-dimensional pore system such as TON, MTT, and MTW.