Synthesis And Characterization Of A Porous Zeolitic Material Using Chitosan Biopolymer As A Structure Directing Agent

A zeolitic framework with bimodal porosity was synthesized by using chitosan biopolymer as mesopore template. This method involved the preparation of chitosan/silica composite by the sol-gel technique, and the hydrothermal treatment of this composite to obtain Mesoporous zeolites. We have demonstrated that the mesoporous zeolites with MFI topology are readily prepared by this method. The synthesized materials are systematically characterized by XRD, SEM/TEM, TG-DTA and N2 adsorption techniques. These characterizations reveal that the obtained porous materials consist of two levels of porosity, which are well-defined microporosity and irregular mesoporosity. Bimodal porosity as well as strong acidity will enable this material to be a promising catalyst in a wide range of chemical industry.