Seed-Assisted Synthesis of Hierarchically Structured Nano-Sized Ti‑β Zeolites for the Efficient Epoxidation Reaction of Alkenes

• Published in: Inorganic chemistry Vol. 61; no. 12; pp. 4887 - 4894
• Main Authors: Yang, Guoju, Qiu, Ziyi, Peng, Sainan, Nan, Maiyan, Li, Lin, Hou, Ying, Chen, Xiaoxin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 28.03.2022
• ISSN: 0020-1669; 1520-510X
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c03652

The development of nano-sized titanosilicate zeolites with hierarchical structures is crucial in promoting the efficient epoxidation of alkenes. In the present work, nano-sized hierarchical Ti-β (*BEA) zeolites with high crystal yield are prepared by a one-pot nanoseed-assisted approach. The influence of seed size on the resultant Ti-β zeolites is investigated by complementary characterizations, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 adsorption/desorption, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and UV Raman spectroscopy. The possible process for the formation of hierarchical Ti-β nanocrystals with the assistance of nanoseeds in the synthesis gel is proposed. Consequentially, the nano-sized hierarchical material prepared by the nanoseed-assisted method shows excellent mass transportation and accessibility to active sites by reducing particle size and constructing hierarchical porosity, hence showing a remarkably enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity in the epoxidation reaction of alkenes. This work will shed light on the efficient preparation of nano-sized titanosilicate zeolites.