Gordon J. Kennedy

Bio: Gordon J. Kennedy is an academic researcher from ExxonMobil. The author has contributed to research in topics: Microporous material & Crystal structure. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 43 publications receiving 1254 citations.

P-derived organic cations as structure-directing agents: synthesis of a high-silica zeolite (ITQ-27) with a two-dimensional 12-ring channel system.

Abstract: Recently, efforts have been made to synthesize large-pore, multidimensional zeolite frameworks as a basis for new catalysts to improve various hydrocarbon conversions. A new aluminosilicate zeolite, ITQ-27, has been prepared using the phosphorus-containing structure-directing agent, dimethyldiphenylphosphonium. Its crystal structure was determined in its calcined form by direct methods (FOCUS) on synchrotron powder diffraction data (lambda = 0.8702 A) after the unit cell and space group were determined from tilt electron diffraction experiments on individual microcrystals. The material crystallizes in space group Fmmm, where a = 27.7508(5) A, b = 25.2969(7) A, and c = 13.7923(4) A. The final model, refined by Rietveld methods, comprises seven unique T-sites forming a framework with straight 12-MR channels that are connected by 14-MR openings between them. (Corresponding 12-ring pore dimension is 6.94 A x 6.20 A.) Since access from one 14-MR opening to the next is through the 12-MR channel, the structure is best described as a two-dimensional, 12-MR framework.

Crystal Structure of MCM-65: An Alternative Linkage of Ferrierite Layers

Abstract: The crystal structure of calcined MCM-65 was determined by constrained model building suggested by a close comparison with as-synthesized MCM-47. Synthesized with a compact structure-directing agent (quinuclidine), as-synthesized MCM-65, unlike MCM-47, is found to retain its crystallinity after calcination. It crystallizes in space group Cmcm, where a = 7.373 A, b = 18.006 A, and c = 13.849 A and represents a linkage of ferrierite layers oriented in a common direction to form a two-dimensional microporous structure of orthogonal eight-membered ring channels with respective dimensions 4.4 × 2.6 A and 4.6 × 2.7 A. Rietveld refinement of the model against synchrotron powder diffraction data (λ = 1.15201 A) gives Rwp = 0.12, R(F2) = 0.21. The crystal density is 1.95 g/cm3, and the framework density for T sites is 19.4. Solid-state 29Si NMR data for the as-synthesized MCM-65 are in agreement with the proposed structure and indicate that the silanol groups are linked after calcination. Although the structure-di...

From Microporous to Mesoporous Molecular-Sieve Materials and Their Use in Catalysis

Abstract: It is possible to say that zeolites are the most widely used catalysts in industry They are crystalline microporous materials which have become extremely successful as catalysts for oil refining, petrochemistry, and organic synthesis in the production of fine and speciality chemicals, particularly when dealing with molecules having kinetic diameters below 10 A The reason for their success in catalysis is related to the following specific features of these materials:1 (1) They have very high surface area and adsorption capacity (2) The adsorption properties of the zeolites can be controlled, and they can be varied from hydrophobic to hydrophilic type materials (3) Active sites, such as acid sites for instance, can be generated in the framework and their strength and concentration can be tailored for a particular application (4) The sizes of their channels and cavities are in the range typical for many molecules of interest (5-12 A), and the strong electric fields2 existing in those micropores together with an electronic confinement of the guest molecules3 are responsible for a preactivation of the reactants (5) Their intricate channel structure allows the zeolites to present different types of shape selectivity, ie, product, reactant, and transition state, which can be used to direct a given catalytic reaction toward the desired product avoiding undesired side reactions (6) All of these properties of zeolites, which are of paramount importance in catalysis and make them attractive choices for the types of processes listed above, are ultimately dependent on the thermal and hydrothermal stability of these materials In the case of zeolites, they can be activated to produce very stable materials not just resistant to heat and steam but also to chemical attacks Avelino Corma Canos was born in Moncofar, Spain, in 1951 He studied chemistry at the Universidad de Valencia (1967−1973) and received his PhD at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1976 He became director of the Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica (UPV-CSIC) at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia in 1990 His current research field is zeolites as catalysts, covering aspects of synthesis, characterization and reactivity in acid−base and redox catalysis A Corma has written about 250 articles on these subjects in international journals, three books, and a number of reviews and book chapters He is a member of the Editorial Board of Zeolites, Catalysis Review Science and Engineering, Catalysis Letters, Applied Catalysis, Journal of Molecular Catalysis, Research Trends, CaTTech, and Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications A Corma is coauthor of 20 patents, five of them being for commercial applications He has been awarded with the Dupont Award on new materials (1995), and the Spanish National Award “Leonardo Torres Quevedo” on Technology Research (1996) 2373 Chem Rev 1997, 97, 2373−2419

Stable single-unit-cell nanosheets of zeolite MFI as active and long-lived catalysts

Abstract: Zeolites-microporous crystalline aluminosilicates-are widely used in petrochemistry and fine-chemical synthesis because strong acid sites within their uniform micropores enable size- and shape-selective catalysis. But the very presence of the micropores, with aperture diameters below 1 nm, often goes hand-in-hand with diffusion limitations that adversely affect catalytic activity. The problem can be overcome by reducing the thickness of the zeolite crystals, which reduces diffusion path lengths and thus improves molecular diffusion. This has been realized by synthesizing zeolite nanocrystals, by exfoliating layered zeolites, and by introducing mesopores in the microporous material through templating strategies or demetallation processes. But except for the exfoliation, none of these strategies has produced 'ultrathin' zeolites with thicknesses below 5 nm. Here we show that appropriately designed bifunctional surfactants can direct the formation of zeolite structures on the mesoporous and microporous length scales simultaneously and thus yield MFI (ZSM-5, one of the most important catalysts in the petrochemical industry) zeolite nanosheets that are only 2 nm thick, which corresponds to the b-axis dimension of a single MFI unit cell. The large number of acid sites on the external surface of these zeolites renders them highly active for the catalytic conversion of large organic molecules, and the reduced crystal thickness facilitates diffusion and thereby dramatically suppresses catalyst deactivation through coke deposition during methanol-to-gasoline conversion. We expect that our synthesis approach could be applied to other zeolites to improve their performance in a range of important catalytic applications.

Surfactant Control of Phases in the Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica-Based Materials

Abstract: The low-temperature formation of liquid-crystal-like arrays made up of molecular complexes formed between molecular inorganic species and amphiphilic organic molecules is a convenient approach for the synthesis of mesostructure materials. This paper examines how the molecular shapes of covalent organosilanes, quaternary ammonium surfactants, and mixed surfactants in various reaction conditions can be used to synthesize silica-based mesophase configurations, MCM-41 (2d hexagonal, p6m), MCM-48 (cubic Ia3d), MCM-50 (lamellar), SBA-1 (cubic Pm3n), SBA-2 (3d hexagonal P63/mmc), and SBA-3 (hexagonal p6m from acidic synthesis media). The structural function of surfactants in mesophase formation can to a first approximation be related to that of classical surfactants in water or other solvents with parallel roles for organic additives. The effective surfactant ion pair packing parameter, g = V/a0l, remains a useful molecular structure-directing index to characterize the geometry of the mesophase products, and pha...

Amphiphilic organosilane-directed synthesis of crystalline zeolite with tunable mesoporosity

Abstract: Zeolites are a family of crystalline aluminosilicate materials widely used as shape-selective catalysts, ion exchange materials, and adsorbents for organic compounds. In the present work, zeolites were synthesized by adding a rationally designed amphiphilic organosilane surfactant to conventional alkaline zeolite synthesis mixtures. The zeolite products were characterized by a complementary combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The analyses show that the present method is suitable as a direct synthesis route to highly mesoporous zeolites. The mesopore diameters could be uniformly tailored, similar to ordered mesoporous silica with amorphous frameworks. The mesoporous zeolite exhibited a narrow, small-angle XRD peak, which is characteristic of the short-range correlation between mesopores, similar to disordered wormhole-like mesoporous materials. The XRD patterns and electron micrographs of the samples taken during crystallization clearly showed the evolution of the mesoporous structure concomitantly to the crystallization of zeolite frameworks. The synthesis of the crystalline aluminosilicate materials with tunable mesoporosity and strong acidity has potentially important technological implications for catalytic reactions of large molecules, whereas conventional mesoporous materials lack hydrothermal stability and acidity.