Optimizing the Hydrophobic Environment of Zeolite-Based Catalysts for Promoted Application in Heterogeneous Catalysis

Zeolites, especially aluminosilicate zeolites, have been widely applied in various important heterogeneous catalytic processes. The catalytic properties of zeolites are highly dependent on their topology structure, composition, porosity and surface chemistry. Recent research progress has demonstrated that increasing hydrophobicity of zeolite-based catalysts may play a positive role in enhancing their catalytic performance for some significant catalytic reactions. In this review, we mainly summarize the prominent advances in achieving catalytic performance enhancement by constructing appropriate hydrophobic zeolite-based catalysts. The main focus is on the regulation strategies and promoting mechanisms for optimizing the hydrophobic environment of zeolite-based catalysts. Through this text, we wish to provide some useful guidance on rationally improving the hydrophobicity of the zeolite-based catalysts for advanced applications in sustainable and green chemical processes, and on exploring the challenges that are faced and future directions in the related research fields.