Spatial differentiation of Brønsted acid sites by probe molecule in zeolite USY using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction

By combining synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, Rietveld refinement and the use of a probe molecule, Brønsted Acid Sites (BAS) of different strengths in steam-treated USY zeolite can be for the first time spatially differentiated: this enables the analysis of different acid-catalysed reactions of dimethylfuran (biomass) by the zeolite using a definitive site blockage strategy.