Applications of Zeolites to C1 Chemistry: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities

Abstract

However, due to growing concerns regarding crude oil depletion and increasing environmental requirements, finding abundant fossil hydrocarbons with high H 2 /C ratios as well as alternative carbon resources has become crucial to maintaining sustainable, environmentally benign systems that can aid human development. [2] Thus, one-carbon (C1) chemistry, which is the chemistry of C1 molecules that can be derived from sources other than fossil hydrocarbons, including carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4), methanol (CH 3 OH), and formic acid (HCOOH), has emerged and plays important roles in the energy supply and high-value chemical preparation. [1,3] These C1 resources can be obtained from natural gas, shale gas, coal, biomass, solid wastes, and CO 2 emissions. [3a,4] Extensive studies have been dedicated to the catalytic conversion of C1 molecules, including production of dimethyl ether (DME) and liquid fuels from syngas (a mixture of CO and H 2); production of methanol, light olefins, and even aromatics from CH 4 ; and production of hydrogen from HCOOH. [5] All of these transformations require metallic catalytic species such as single atoms; clusters; or oxides, carbides, or alloy particles (e.g., Rh-, AuPd-, Fe 3 O 4-, and Fe 5 C 2-based catalysts). However, these isolated metallic species suffer from severe sintering due to a lack of confinement effects from supports, which leads to poor catalytic stability and decreased selectivities toward their target products. The efficient production of a specific range of hydrocarbons or oxygenates remains a difficult scientific and technical challenge. Overcoming product selectivity limitations and improving catalyst stabilities via catalyst designs are important areas of research. Zeolites are an important class of shape-selective catalysts with uniform micropores, tunable acidities, and high thermal and hydrothermal stabilities. Over the past decade, they have gained broad popularity and been applied to various industrially important catalytic processes. [6] In particular, the design and development of zeolite-based mono-, bi-, and multifunctional catalysts that combine the advantages of zeolites with those of metallic catalytic species have boosted the application of zeolites to C1 chemistry. As shown in Figure 1, value-added hydrocarbons and oxygenates can be produced from C1 molecules via various catalytic routes over zeolite-based catalysts. By May of 2020, the Structure Commission of the International C1 chemistry, which is the catalytic transformation of C1 molecules including CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , CH 3 OH, and HCOOH, plays an important role in providing energy and chemical supplies while meeting environmental requirements. Zeolites are highly efficient solid catalysts used in the chemical industry. The design and development of zeolite-based mono-, bi-, and multifunctional catalysts has led to a booming application of zeolite-based catalysts to C1 chemistry. Combining the advantages of zeolites and metallic catalytic species has promoted the catal...

Visualizing Element Migration over Bifunctional Metal‐Zeolite Catalysts and its Impact on Catalysis

“…[4] Different from the conventional Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis,which only offers abroad product distribution due to the polymerization mechanism, the C-C coupling over bifunctional catalysts is conducted inside the zeolite channels or cages,t hus enabling the controllable synthesis of desired products. [5] Besides,t he formation of hydrocarbons can thermodynamically drive the conversion of CO/CO 2 ,providing comparable conversion levels as FT synthesis. [1c, 3b,4b, 6] Despite the numerous advantages described, the side effects of the emerging bifunctional systems were rarely mentioned and investigated.…”

Zeolite ceramics with ordered microporous structure and high crystallinity prepared by cold sintering process

“…Zeolites are widely used in the fields of catalysis, adsorption, separation, and ion exchange due to their unique porous structure. [1][2][3][4] At present, zeolite materials are primarily used in two ways. One is that zeolite powders are usually mixed and roasted with a large amount of clay or binder into a certain shape with the mechanical strength.…”

Nanostructured Photocatalysts for the Production of Methanol from Methane and Water

“…[60] Their combination with metallic species have shown promising advances in C1 chemical transformations. [61] The main type of zeolites that have been used for direct conversion of CH 4 to methanol are beta and ZSM-5 zeolites. Beta zeolites consist of a three-dimensional (3D) 12-ring pore-system, while ZSM-5 zeolites has a 3D 10-ring channel system.…”