Facile synthesis of nanosized mordenite and beta zeolites with improved catalytic performance: non-surfactant diquaternary ammonium compounds as structure-directing agents

Non-surfactant diquaternary ammonium compounds have already been used for obtaining various zeolites in nanocrystalline form. However, facile synthesis of nanocrystals of mordenite (MOR) and beta (BEA) in this way remains challenging. Here, we present the direct synthesis of nanosized mordernite (MOR) and beta (BEA) zeolites with hexane- and p-xylene-bridged bis-methylpyrrolidinium, -methylpiperidinium and -DABCO diquats, which can be synthesized in a single step from common chemicals. Optimized recipes are presented for nanosized MOR (20–50 nm) and BEA (15–30 nm) zeolites. By investigating the solid products obtained during hydrothermal synthesis, the formation of nanocrystals can be linked to the strong interaction between diquat templates and aluminosilicate species during the induction stage, which limits the amorphous precursor particles to a size below 50 nm. Based on the textural and acidic properties, catalytic performance data are discussed evidencing the clear benefits of these nanosized zeolites over bulk reference samples in Friedel–Crafts reactions and n-alkane hydroconversion.