Generation of diamondoid hydrocarbons as confined compounds in SAPO-34 catalyst in the conversion of methanolElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental section, catalytic performances, confined organics determination, reactivity of confined adamantanes and aromatics and the retained compounds in SAPO-34, 18 and 35 after methanol conversion. See DOI: 10.1039/c2cc17676a

Formation of adamantane hydrocarbons and their confinement in SAPO-34 caused the long induction period and the quick catalyst deactivation in methanol conversion. Via ship-in-a-bottle synthesis, adamantane and methyladamantanes could be produced from methanol conversion in the cage of 8-ring SAPO catalysts under very mild reaction conditions. The generation of diamondoid hydrocarbons in SAPO-34 as a new kind of coke species interpreted the quick deactivation of methanol conversion.