Preparation of Pd/Al2O3@silicalite-1 core-shell beads and their application to hydrogenation reactions

Core-shell composite beads comprising a Pd-loaded Al2O3 core and a shell of inter-grown silicalite-1 (siliceous ZSM-5) crystals were synthesised. The incompatibility between the Pd/Al2O3 core and the zeolite shell was circumvented by a layer-by-layer self-assembly of polyelectrolyte to adsorb nanosized silicalite-1 seeds onto the core surface, followed by a secondary solvo-thermal treatment to form the continuous and well-intergrown silicalite-1 shell. The thickness of the outer zeolite shell could be tuned by monitoring the secondary growth time. When employed as catalyst for the hydrogenation reaction of alkenes to explore its full potential use, the Pd/Al2O3@silicalite-1 core-shell catalyst exhibited excellent size-selectivity, poison-resistance and leaching-proof properties. Such a catalyst@zeolite core-shell structure is expected to find promising applications in heterogeneous catalysis and adsorption.