Porous molecular sieve catalysts, including aluminosilicate zeolites and silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) molecular sieves, are widely used in heterogeneous catalysis and are expected to play an important role in advancing carbon neutrality and sustainable development. Given the ubiquitous presence of water during catalyst synthesis, storage, and application, the interactions between water and molecular sieves—along with their subsequent effects on framework stability and catalytic performance—have garnered significant attention from both academic and industrial communities. These effects are inherently complex and depend strongly onfactors such as temperature, water phase, and partial pressure. However, a systematic understanding of how water influences molecular sieve frameworks and catalytic reaction processes remains incomplete.
Recently, a research team led byProf. Shutao Xu and Prof. Zhongmin Liu from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reported a comprehensive review summarizing the current understanding of water–molecular sieve interactions and their roles in catalysis. The review was published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis (DOI:10.1016/s1872-2067(25)64828-5).
This review systematically summarizes water-induced reversible and irreversible structural changes in aluminosilicate and SAPO frameworks at the atomic level as water-molecular sieve interactions intensify. These processes include water adsorption, reversible hydrolysis of T–O–T bonds, and irreversible hydrolysis of T–O–T bonds.Particular emphasis is placed onthe dynamic and labile nature of molecular sieve frameworks under water-containing environments.
In addition, the review discusses how water influences catalytic performance and reaction kinetics in molecular sieve-catalyzed reactions from two perspectives. First, water can participate in catalytic processes through hydrogen bonding interactions, including competitive adsorption at active sites, stabilization of ground and transition states, and the formation of proton-transfer bridges. Second,water can act as a direct reactant, forming new species through reactions with other guest molecules.Overall, this review provides valuable insights for the rational design and optimization of molecular sieve catalysts for reactions involving water.
About the Journal
Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top six journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 17.7. The Editors-in-Chief are Profs. Can Li and Tao Zhang.
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