Fabrication of a sinter-resistant Fe-MFI zeolite dragonfruit-like catalyst for syngas to aromatics conversion

Direct conversion of syngas to aromatics has great potential to decrease fossil fuel dependence. Here, a unique structured hybrid catalyst composed of Fe3O4 nanoparticles intimately dispersed inside an acidic zeolite is developed. 1 to 4 nm sized Fe3O4 nanoparticles end up evenly dispersed in an acidic and slightly mesoporous Al-ZSM-5 based on Fe3O4 restructuring during co-hydrothermal synthesis using organosilane modification. A very high aromatic productivity of 214 mmolaromatics h-1 gFe-1 can be obtained with a remarkable 62% aromatic selectivity in hydrocarbons. This catalyst has excellent sintering resistance ability and maintains stable aromatics production over 570 h. The synthetic insights that postulate a mechanism for the metastable oxide-zeolite reorganization during hydrothermal synthesis could serve as a generic route to sinter-resistant oxide-zeolite composite materials with uniform, well-dispersed oxide nanoparticles in close intimacy with - and partially confined in - a zeolite matrix.