Design of hierarchical zeolites for important reactions in the oil and gas industry
Design of hierarchical zeolites for important reactions in the oil and gas industry
Currently, zeolites are used for a vast array of applications, from cat litter and laundry detergent to solid acid catalysts for gasoline production. The critical attribute of zeolites is the variety of cavity and pore sizes in which to trap molecules and/or carry out chemical transformations. The main problem with current technologies to synthesize zeolites is the minimal shape control of the pores and cavities which in turn reduces the possibilities for selectivity in chemical transformations and molecular capture processes. This research aims at developing a high-precision control of mesoporosity in zeolite in addition to the intrinsic microporous structure. Correlations between the structure-directing templates, porosity, crystallinity, pore size distribution and the surface area of zeolite will be investigated.
Supervisors
Supervisor: Alex Yip
Key qualifications and skills
First class honours in relevant disciplines or prior experience in zeolite synthesis or catalysis.
Does the project come with funding
No - student must be self-funded.
Final date for receiving applications
Ongoing
Keywords
zeolite; microporous and mesoporous materials; catalysis