Electrochemically Catalyzed Zeolite Synthesis: Where Hydrothermal Crystallization and Electrochemistry Converge
Dongxia Liu
University of Delaware
Zeolites play a critical role as catalysts, ion exchangers, adsorbents, and membranes in the chemical and petrochemical industries, and their significance is expected to grow in the context of a sustainable future economy. However, zeolite synthesis has seen minimal innovation over the past decades, primarily relying on hydrothermal methods. These traditional processes are energy-intensive and contribute significantly to carbon dioxide emissions, as zeolite crystallization typically requires heating the synthesis gel to temperatures of 100-200 °C over extended periods (20-100 hours). In this presentation, I would like to highlight our recent innovation in zeolite synthesis, catalyzed by an electrochemical approach. We initially applied this method to develop zeolite coatings on metallic substrates, greatly reducing both synthesis time and temperature. The morphology and crystallinity of the zeolite coatings are influenced by factors such as applied current, temperature, time, and precursor composition. We have since extended this approach to zeolite crystallization in solution under hydrothermal conditions. The electrochemically catalyzed zeolite synthesis provides a simple, rapid pathway for producing zeolites, with the potential for developing diverse framework structures, both on substrates and in solution, under milder hydrothermal conditions.