Illuminating the impact of the proximity communication modes between redox metallic and acidic zeolite sites during hydro-conversion of n-heptane

The unique physicochemical properties of “redox-acid” bifunctional zeolites make them an essential tool in the petrochemical industry, especially in the hydro-conversion of linear alkanes to deliver high-octane fuels. The current research activities in this domain are primarily tailored towards evaluating the “intimacy/proximity” criteria among two catalytically active sites and minimizing the loading of noble metals (e.g., Pd or Pt) in catalysis. However, the chemistry behind the communication mode (i.e., “through-space” or “through-bond” interaction between metallic and acid sites) has remained vastly underexplored during the hydro-conversion of n-alkanes over Pt or Pd/zeolites. To dig deeper into this uncharted territory, this work demonstrates that both “through-space” (cf. metals in extra-framework position in/on zeolite) and “through-bond” (cf. metals on the zeolite framework) bifunctionality favors the hydroisomerization step, while the later partially also promote the hydro-cracking. Their working protocol was probed by the diverse material characterization techniques that improved the understanding of the zeolite-catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion processes.