The Influence of Inserted Metal Ions on Acid Strength of OH Groups in Faujasite

The number and the strength of acid sites in catalysts have paramount importance on their efficiency. In zeolites chemistry, increased content of framework Al in zeolites gives a higher number of strong acid sites. Their strength can be a disadvantage in catalytic reactions (e.g., methanol to olefins conversion) due to undesired secondary reactions of coke formation. Here, the Faujasite type of zeolite with higher content of Al has been used for investigating the role of defects in structure and inserted (wet impregnation and thermal treatment) metal cations (Mg, Co, Ni, Zn) on the strength of OH acid sites. Desorption of deuterated acetonitrile, as a probe molecule, was used for OH groups acid strength measurements at different temperatures (150, 200, and 300 °C).