Epitaxial Growth of Layered-Bulky ZSM-5 Hybrid Catalysts for the Methanol-to-Propylene Process

The hierarchical layered-bulky ZSM-5 (LBZ5) hybrid composites with a core–shell structure were synthesized by epitaxial growth of layered ZSM-5 nanosheets over bulky ZSM-5 crystals. The systematic balance of zeolitic microporosity and interlayered mesoporosity was achieved by elaborate regulation of the ratio between layered phase and bulky phase, resulting in a series of layered-bulky ZSM-5 hybrid composites with the controllable thickness of the layered shell ranging from 98 to 307 nm. The evaluation of catalytic performance in the methanol-to-propylene (MTP) reaction indicated the LBZ5 materials to be candidated catalysts for the MTP process with prolonged catalytic lifetime, superior coke toleration, and enhanced propylene selectivity compared with the parent bulky ZSM-5 (BZ5) and layered ZSM-5 (LZ5) due to their well-retained zeolitic framework, hierarchical meso-/microporosity by the layered-bulky composite structure, and appropriate strong acidity.