Chemical Engineering Seminar: 2-dimensional Zeolite Catalysts

Remote attendance possible at: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/642409239

 Zeolites are widely used catalysts in the chemical industry. Controlling their structure at the sub-nanometer level remains a challenge with important practical implications. In 2012, we reported the synthesis of single-unit-cell zeolite nanosheets, in a house of cards arrangement. We named these 2-dimenisonal materials SPP (self-pillared pentasil) and we have been investigating their crystal growth mechanism, their adsorption and transport properties, and their catalytic performance as Brønsted and Lewis acids, and as supports of metal nanoparticles. In this talk, I will discuss their discovery, our current understanding of their micro- and mesoporous hierarchical structure, along with unique aspects of adsorption and diffusion in SPP, and emerging uses of SPP-based catalysts, like in the synthesis of renewable para-xylene, isoprene, butadiene and surfactants.  Recent progress on nanosheet structure control with nm-scale precision, which enables us through modeling and experiments to assess adsorption, diffusion and reaction in these complex materials, will be emphasized.