(174b) Organotemplate-Free Synthesis of Hierarchical Beta Zeolites

Zeolite beta is a large-pore, low-Al microporous material that features an intergrowth of two or more polymorphs comprising a three-dimensional, 12-membered ring channel system with great potential in refinery, petrochemical and chemical applications. This presentation focuses on a straightforward approach to synthesizing hierarchical beta zeolites by exposing microporous zeolites to hydrothermal conditions amenable for beta crystallization, which simultaneously creates hierarchical pore structure while maintaining crystallinity and framework integrity without the use of organic structure-directing agents (OSDA), pore-directing agents (PDA), or mesoporous templates. The obtained hierarchical beta zeolites possess enlarged mesopores and exhibit improved catalytic performance for the conversion of bulky molecules, and are promising to be used in a variety of applications wherein the presence of large mesopores are required to reduce diffusion limitation and coking formation in beta zeolites.