Organotemplate-Free Synthesis of a High-Silica Zeolite with a TON Structure in the Absence of Zeolite Seeds

Graphical A high-silica aluminosilicate zeolite with a TON structure designated as ZJM-4 was successfully synthesized in the absence of any organic templates and zeolite seeds. This route has efficient silica utilization, and the zeolite product has a stable tetrahedral aluminum species. A high-silica zeolite with a TON structure designated as ZJM-4 was successfully synthesized in the absence of any organic templates and zeolite seeds. Many factors such as the SiO 2 /K 2 O ratio, Si/Al ratio, SiO 2 /H 2 O in the starting aluminosilicate gels, crystallization temperature, and crystallization time strongly influence the formation of the ZJM-4 zeolite. Interestingly, this synthesis shows very efficient silica utilization in the starting gels (>80 %). Catalytic tests on the isomerization of m -xylene to p -xylene show that the ZJM-4 catalyst has high selectivity to p -xylene (ca. 80 %), which could be potentially important for industrial applications for the ZJM-4 zeolite as a candidate catalyst in the future.