Hierarchical Zeolites Prepared Using a Surfactant-Mediated Strategy: ZSM-5 vs. Y as Catalysts for Friedel–Crafts Acylation Reaction

Hierarchical ZSM5 and Y zeolites were prepared through a surfactant-mediated strategy with NH4OH changing the duration of the treatment and the amount of CTAB surfactant and taking as reference multiples of the critical micellar concentration (CMC). The materials were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption isotherms at −196 °C, and SEM and TEM microscopy. The catalytic performance was evaluated in Friedel–Crafts acylation of furan with acetic anhydride at 80 °C. The alkaline surfactant-mediated treatment had different effects on the two zeolites. For ZSM5, the CTAB molecular aggregates can hardly diffuse inside the medium-size pores, leading mainly to intercrystalline mesoporosity and increased external surface area, with no positive catalytic impact. On the other hand, for large-pore Y zeolite, the CTAB molecular aggregates can easily diffuse and promote the rearrangement of crystal units around micelles, causing the enlargement of the pores, i.e., intracrystalline porosity. The optimized Y-based sample, treated for 12 h with a CTAB amount 32 times the CMC, shows an increase in product yield and rate constant that was not observed when a higher amount of surfactant was added. The reuse of spent catalysts upon thermal treatment at 400 °C shows a regeneration efficiency around 90%, showing good potentialities for the modified catalysts.