Space-confined synthesis of zeolite Beta microspheres via steam-assisted crystallization

A direct synthetic route for hierarchical Beta zeolite has been developed via steam-assisted crystallization (SAC) of carbon–silica composite monolith. SEM and TEM observations show that Hier-Beta zeolites are rough spheres (diameter: 500–600 nm), composed of connected nanoparticles and have single crystallinity. Deep investigation shows that the growth of the zeolite spheres undergo a reverse crystal-growth route – surface-to-core crystallization. Such materials demonstrate the greatly enhanced catalytic activity in the dehydration of fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), because of the intra-crystalline mesoporous structure and efficient diffusion of reactant/product molecules.