J. T. Donald Lecture: Synthesis of Zeolites for Gas Separation and Catalysis, Prof. Avelino Corma

Small, medium, large and extralarge pore zeolites can be synthesized using organic and inorganic structure directing agents. Small pore zeolites will be used for thermodynamic and kinetic gas separation, and catalytic applications in where reactant diffusion shape selectivity plays a major role. For a most relevant catalytic application of small pore zeolites, i.e. NOx abatement in diesel mobiles, Cu-zeolite catalysts will be prepared in a single step, with the Cu perfectly distributed within the cavities.
OSDAS will be presented to prepare structures  with pore topologies formed by 8X10, 9X10, 8X12,12X18,12X14 Rings. The catalytic possibilities of these types of multipore systems will be presented for cracking, aromatic alkylations, alkyl aromatic transalkylation. We will show that there are acid catalyzed reactions for which the stabilization of intermediate carbocations does not depend preferentially on acid strength but on the presence of soft counteranions. In this case zeolites are extraordinary catalysts that can work at very mild conditions without catalyst deactivation. The concept will be illustrated for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals.