Influence of layer structure preservation on the catalytic properties of the pillared zeolite MCM-36

MCM-36 is a catalytically active material made by swelling and subsequent pillaring of a layered zeolite precursor, MCM-22(P). However, the swelling procedures lead to significant destruction of layer structure and alteration of framework silicon/aluminum (Si/Al) ratio, which are likely to influence the acidity and catalytic activity of the final materials. We report a milder swelling and pillaring process to prevent such structural destruction. The resulting pillared materials show higher crystallinity and improved retention of the zeolitic layer structure when compared to the ones prepared by the previously reported methods involving more aggressive treatments. Implications of such struct…