Pyridine-modified mordenite (MOR) zeolite catalysts have attracted great attention in recent years due to their unique shape selectivity within eight-membered ring (8-MR) side pockets for dimethyl ether (DME) carbonylation to methyl acetate (MA) and syngas conversion to ethylene. Herein, aimed at elucidating pyridine modification−carbonylation activity relationships and developing high-performance catalysts, we investigated the adsorption/desorption behaviors of pyridine on MOR zeolites with varying Si/Al ratios and their impact on DME carbonylation. Instead of the previously proposed selective adsorption of pyridine in 12-MR channels, pyridine is revealed to penetrate into 8-MR side pockets of MOR zeolites and interact with acidic hydroxyls therein. Upon heating, pyridine in pockets desorbs preferentially, likely arising from the lower stability of pyridine adspecies in constrained spaces. This well explains the observed increment of carbonylation activity following the increase of pretreatment temperature. Unprecedentedly, high MA yield (7.2 mmol/(h g)) has been achieved on pyridine-modified MOR (Si/Al = 13.8) under controlled pyridine desorption conditions, resulting from the joint contributions of better diffusion properties and larger amounts of active acid sites. Moreover, the catalytic activity of Brønsted acid sites within 8-MR pockets is demonstrated to be inhomogeneous, closely associated with their locations.

Part of tetrahedral framework aluminum in a protonic mordenite (HMOR) will convert geometry to distorted tetrahedral and octahedral coordination. Highfield 27 Al NMR data show that more framework Al atoms at T 3 and T 4 sites change geometry to nonframework structures than others. These nonframework Al species preferentially reside in the side pockets, which will decrease the accessibility of acid sites in the 8membered ring (MR) channel, impairing the dimethyl ether (DME) carbonylation reaction. The arisen octahedrally coordinated Al species are framework-associated, which can be reverted into the zeolite framework. Herein, we find that a facile treatment with pyridine could force the octahedral coordination Al back into a tetrahedral environment, which could increase the number of available active sites and enhance the diffusion of DME, thus improving the reactivity (4 times) of the DME carbonylation reaction and prolonging the lifetime of catalysts.