Synthesis of mesoporous zeolite Ni-MFI with high nickel contents by using the ionic complex [(C4H9)4N]+2[Ni(EDTA)]2− as a template

Ni-MFI zeolites with high percentage of Ni (5–15 wt%) were prepared by using an ionic complex [(C4H9)4N]+2[Ni(EDTA)]2− by one step synthesis. These molecular sieves were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. The results showed that heteroatom Ni was successfully introduced into the MFI framework up to 15 wt%. Moreover, this Ni-MFI possessed regular and stable structure with high specific surface area and average pore diameter of 388–439 m2 g−1 and 2.566–3.828 nm, respectively, compared to MFI prepared by traditional methods. These samples also showed good thermal and hydrothermal stability.

Graphical abstractSchematic of the synthetic mechanism of new template [(C4H9)4N]+2[Ni(EDTA)]2− for synthesizing the mesoporous zeolite Ni-MFI.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide