RESEARCH INTERESTS
Zeolite Thin-Films and Membranes
Zeolites are not only be synthesized as powders, but also they can be fabricated into zeolite thin-films on dense substrates or membranes on porous substrates. We have developed novel approaches for the synthesis and characterization of catalytically active, highly oriented zeolite thin-films and membranes with controllable chemical properties on both dense and porous ceramic substrates. These oriented zeolite thin-films and membranes could be used as high-flux separation membranes, catalytic membrane reactors, chemical sensors, electrodes, opto-electronic devices, etc. (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 11217-11221. (Cover Story); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 12458-12462.)
Advanced Spectroscopic Study of Structure-Performance Relationships of Catalytic Reactions
Heterogeneous catalysts are heavily applied in chemical and petrochemical industries, and understanding structure-reactivity relationships as well as the initiation of deactivation mechanism is of utmost for the rational improvement of their performance and lifetime. We have combined advanced spectroscopic techniques, i.e. AFM-IR, multi-dimensional MAS NMR and operando UV-Vis, and well-defined catalytic systems for building structure-reactivity relationships for specific zeolite channel orientations during catalytic chemical reactions, e.g. methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH). We found that subtle differences in zeolite channel geometries drastically alter the configuration of the reaction intermediates formed as well as the deactivation behaviors. (Chem. Commum., 2017, 53, 13012-13014. (Cover Story); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 10.1002/anie.201916596; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, doi.org/10.1002/anie.202009139)
Nucleation Mechanism and Guest-Host Chemistry during Zeolite Growth
Zeolites are crystalline microporous aluminosilicates with unique properties, such as tunable acidity and exceptional (hydro)thermal stability, which are utilized in commercial processes for catalysis, photonics, drug delivery, separations, and ion exchange. These materials are generally hydrothermal synthesized via crystallization as a result of guest-host chemistry between structure-directing agents and zeolite frameworks. Identifying pathway(s) of crystallization is critical to understanding, and ultimately controlling the formation of these functional materials. In this section, we comprehensively studied the guest-host chemistry during zeolite synthesis using various techniques, e.g. Raman spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 16044-16048; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 12458-12462)
Carbon Capture and Conversion
The accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is the main driver of climate change. Various strategies have been proposed such as separation, storage, and utilization of CO2 to mitigate its concentration in the atmosphere. Zeotype materials, a class of microporous materials with unique structural features, high surface areas, chemical tunability and stability, as well as a long history of global scale industrial use, which provide high potentials to be commercialized for CO2 capture. In this work, we develop robust zeotype materials for CO2 capture from humid postcombustion gases and air.