Synthesis of hydrophobic siliceous ferrierite by using pyridine and sodium fluoride

•Synthesis of siliceous ferrierites with SiO2/Al2O3 ratios in the 138.8–324 range.•Crystallization of siliceous ferrierites using pyridine and sodium fluoride.•Ferrierites exhibit plate-like morphologies with sufficient micropore volume.•Siliceous ferrierites exhibit higher hydrophobicity than commercially used ZSM-5.

We report for the first time, the successful synthesis of siliceous ferrierites with SiO2/Al2O3 = 138.8–324 by the hydrothermal treatment of aluminosilicate gel with the introduction of pyridine and easy-to-handle sodium fluoride (NaF). It has been found that pure siliceous ferrierites exhibit well-defined plate-like morphologies with sufficient micropore volume. Moreover, in terms of the adsorption of water vapor, siliceous ferrierites (SiO2/Al2O3 ⩾ 208) exhibit significantly higher hydrophobicity than commercially available siliceous zeolite (ZSM-5, HSZ-890HOA, SiO2/Al2O3 = 1880). This work provides a promising approach for the preparation of siliceous ferrierites with a simple synthesis system, and this finding will help to broaden the practical applicability of ferrierites.

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