Stable single-unit-cell nanosheets of zeolite MFI as active and long-lived catalysts

Zeolite catalysis: the thin of it Zeolites — microporous crystalline aluminosilicates — are widely used in industry as size- and shape-selective catalysts. But the very micropores that make this catalytic activity possible also cause diffusion limitations. Choi et al. now show that the problem can be overcome by synthesizing zeolites in the presence of bifunctional surfactants, which simultaneously direct the formation of micropores and limit the growth of the zeolite crystal to that of a 'nanosheet' with a thickness of only one unit cell. These structural features render the ultrathin zeolites highly active for the catalytic conversion of large organic molecules; they also minimize the adverse effects of diffusion limitations, as illustrated by drastically reduced coke deposition and catalyst deactivation during methanol-to-gasoline conversion.