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Emerging applications of zeolites in catalysis, separation and host–guest assembly

Nature Reviews Materials volume 6, pages 1156–1174 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Zeolites are a family of microporous crystalline materials, which, since the 1940s, have had an indispensable role in the chemical industry as catalysts, adsorbents and ion exchangers. Advances in synthetic methodologies and characterization techniques have enabled the fabrication of new zeolitic materials, with emerging applications in diverse areas. By tuning their porous architectures, framework compositions and crystal morphologies, coupled with the incorporation of exotic active species, zeolites and zeolite-based materials have exhibited unprecedentedly high performance in many challenging processes. In this Review, we focus on the high-efficiency catalytic production of industrially important hydrocarbons and oxygenates using non-petrochemical feedstocks, energy-efficient separations of hydrocarbon mixtures that are difficult using conventional methods and materials, and host–guest assemblies that exhibit physical properties unprecedented to either the zeolite hosts or free guest species. Finally, we provide our perspectives on future directions for the development of zeolitic materials to meet the ever-growing demands from diverse fields.

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Fig. 1: Performance of traditional and zeolite-based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts.
Fig. 2: Reaction scheme for CO2 hydrogenation to gasoline over Na–Fe3O4/ZSM-5 catalyst.
Fig. 3: Separation properties of a water-conducting membrane made from defect-free Na-A zeolite.
Fig. 4: Pressure-induced organization of ethanol and water within the ferrierite zeolite.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 21920102005, 21835002 and 21621001), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant no. 2016YFB0701100) and the 111 Project (grant no. B17020).

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China

    Yi Li & Jihong Yu

  2. International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China

    Yi Li & Jihong Yu

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Li, Y., Yu, J. Emerging applications of zeolites in catalysis, separation and host–guest assembly. Nat Rev Mater 6, 1156–1174 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00347-3

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