03-09-2024
The summer holidays are an excellent opportunity to relax and enjoy the summer vibes 🌞. But research continues and Arno De Reviere – while recently being graduated with his doctoral degree – made an impressive contribution this summer with 1️⃣ - 2️⃣ - 3️⃣ additional A1 publications to strengthen the zeolite research & academic expertise. These three publications mark Arno's final contribution at INCAT as he transitions from academia to industry, where he will apply the knowledge and skills acquired during his PhD in a new professional environment. Best of luck with the new challenges ahead! 🍀
1. Zeolites are of the most important catalysts in the world. Yet, their function can still be improved. In this publication (10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.124351), H-ZSM-5 zeolite crystals are engineered to increase the accessibility of the active sites and enhance the dehydration of bio-butanol to butenes.
- Interested in how NH4F etching is a flexible technique to hierarchize zeolites?
- Do you want to learn how the secondary mesoporosity increases the performance of H-ZSM-5?
- What are the consequences at an elementary reaction step level?
--> Check out the microkinetic model developed for the hierarchized zeolites ❗
2. Fundamental understanding of the behavior of zeolite catalysts is essential to improve these materials. Next to zeolite properties, also the feed properties are essential. Most bio-based alcohols are obtained as mixtures, therefore a DFT-based fundamental microkinetic model is developed in this work (10.1039/D4CY00532E) to understand the effects of processing alcohols as mixtures rather than as pure components.
- Cofeeding n-butanol to ethanol intrinsically alters the reactivity of ethanol.
- Not only intrinsic reactivity is important, but for mixtures also coverages are essential!
- How can you steer the dehydration to be more simultaneous?
--> Check out the DFT-based microkinetic modeling results ❗
3. In order to obtain synthesis-structure function relations of zeolites, in this study (10.1016/j.apcata.2024.119939), the interzeolite conversion technique is used to synthesize ZSM-5 with controlled active site proximities and subsequently used in the catalytic alcohol dehydration. Thereby, this publication provides insights into the relationship between catalyst structure and performance, which could aid in designing more efficient catalysts for bio-alcohol dehydration. Definitely take a look 🧐 if you are interested in:
- Interzeolite conversion as a facile technique to steer the amount of acid sites in close proximity in ZSM-5.
- Effect of proximity of the active sites in acidic catalytic dehydration of n-butanol and i-propanol.
- Effect of the interzeolite conversion synthesis time on the Al proximity and subsequently catalytic performance.