Intra-crystalline mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolite by grinding synthesis method

ZSM-5 zeolite with intra-crystalline mesopores was synthesized via grinding synthesis method (GSM) without any mesoporous templates. It was found that the formation of the mesopores in the ZSM-5 crystals is due to the difference between the speed of crystallization and dissolution processes occurring during the GSM synthesis. The alkalinity of the precursor gels tailored the formation of the mesoporous structure and the crystal size of the ZSM-5 zeolite. The most regular mesopores in the ZSM-5 crystals were formed under grinding synthesis of the precursor gel with a defined concentration of alkali cations (Na2O/SiO2 = 0.113). The size of the mesopores in the ZSM-5 crystals varied from 3 nm to 25 nm, while the size of the individual ZSM-5 crystallites is in the range of 50–300 nm which depend mainly on the amount of NaOH in the precursor gel.