Facile Preparation of a Binderless Hierarchical Beta Zeolite in Shaped Form and with Improved Acidity for Catalysis

The synthesis of a technical hierarchical nanosized zeolite catalysts without growth modifiers and binders remains a major challenge in catalysis. Herein, we report a new synthetic approach to directly produce hierarchical nanosized Beta zeolites in technical form, without any binders in the final material. The synthesis consists of two steps, where a Beta zeolite powder is first shaped using tetraethyl orthosilicate; the extrude is then recrystallized at high temperature in the presence of tetraethylammonium hydroxide solution. This transforms the SiO2 binders into zeolite framework. A variety of characterization methods were applied to unlock structure-properties relationships of the materials and demostrate their catalytic functionality. We believe that this work opens avenues for the advanced manufacturing of hierarchical zeolite materials in shaped form, and will find useful applications in catalysis and materials science.