Diversity of layered zeolites: from synthesis to structural modifications

In recent years, great efforts have been devoted to the synthesis and modification of layered zeolites, a new family of microporous crystalline materials that are viewed as covalently bonded continuous frameworks extended in only two dimensions. This leads to a very interesting and attractive research area in porous materials science, since the stacking modes of zeolite layers could be constructed into various types of structures by direct synthesis or postsynthetic treatments, endowing zeolitic materials with structural diversity. The potential of layered zeolite precursors for generating hierarchical catalysts or incorporating organic functional groups into two dimensional structures is of particular interest. In this contribution, the most attractive achievements in the research area of layered zeolites are summarized, including synthetic approaches, strategies for modification of layered structures and catalytic applications. Last but not least, the challenges for future research on these types of porous materials are proposed.