Metal@Zeolite Hybrid Materials for Catalysis

The fixation of metal nanoparticles into zeolite crystals has emerged as a new series of heterogeneous catalysts, giving performances that steadily outperform the generally supported catalysts in many important reactions. In this outlook, we define different noble metal-in-zeolite structures (metal@zeolite) according to the size of the nanoparticles and their relative location to the micropores. The metal species within the micropores and those larger than the micropores are denoted as encapsulated and fixed structures, respectively. The development in the strategies for the construction of metal@zeolite hybrid materials is briefly summarized in this work, where the rational preparation and improved thermal stability of the metal nanostructures are particularly mentioned. More importantly, these metal@zeolite hybrid materials as catalysts exhibit excellent shape selectivity. Finally, we review the current challenges and future perspectives for these metal@zeolite catalysts.