Direct Synthesis of Nanosheet-Stacked Hierarchical Honey Stick-like MFI Zeolites by an Aromatic Heterocyclic Dual-Functional Organic Structure-Directing Agent

Soft template designing is the most promising strategy for the synthesis of zeolite nanosheets. MFI nanosheets directed by soft templates (containing long-chain alkyl groups or aromatic groups as hydrophobic component) can be found frequently; however, so far, MFI nanosheets synthesized by soft templates with aromatic heterocycle groups (e. g., s-triazine groups) are rare. Herein, a nanosheet-stacked hierarchical MFI zeolite (NSHM) has been synthesized by using a triply branched s-triazine-based surfactant as a bifunctional organic structure-directing agent. On the basis of a geometrical match relationship, a formation model has been proposed. Synthesized NSHM had abundant mesopores stacked by nanosheets and exhibited a high surface area (430 m(2) . g(-1)). The 1 wt% Pd/NSHM attained a significant increase in yield of cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone mixture (from 66 to 85 %) in the oxidation of cyclohexane compared with Silicalite-1 and SBA-15 as supports.

Automated summary

Soft template designing is a promising approach for the synthesis of zeolite nanosheets, with the use of s-triazine-based surfactant leading to the successful synthesis of a nanosheet-stacked hierarchical MFI zeolite with high surface area and abundant mesopores. The synthesized NSHM showed a significant increase in yield in the oxidation of cyclohexane compared to traditional supports.