Time: September 20th, 2017, 10:00-11:30am
Venue: Conference Room 801, No.2 Energy Building
Lecturer: Dr. Michiel Dusselier
Abstract:
Zeolites are well-known and durable catalysts in petrochemical and refinery operations. In the catalytic conversion of bio-derived molecules, or the conversion of (natural) gas, these microporous materials have a role to play as well. Two topics will be discussed to demonstrate the importance of adapting zeolite technology (incl. synthesis) to the development of sustainable processes. The first will be in the context of bioplastics. The synthesis route from sugars to certain polyester plastics is inefficient and I will demonstrate how (petrochemical) zeolite concepts have been successfully introduced to overcome some of the barriers in this field (BEA). In the second part, the focus will be put on the synthesis of zeolites itself, this time in the context of the methanol-to-olefins reaction (MTO). This reaction, known since the 1980s, is getting industrially implemented at high speed. The commercial catalyst is a silicoaluminophosphate, but aluminosilicates (e.g. SSZ-39, AEI) could become significant competitors, especially when considering that such zeolites are being commercialized for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx in exhaust gas. A topological link between both applications will be explored. A third and final topic will showcase the discovery of a new synthesis route to the elusive GME zeolite. The new material, CIT-9, is fault-free and its synthesis presents a truly unique case of conditional and isomeric cis/trans sensitivity related to the organic structure directing agent. Variable temperature XRD was used as well to explain the remarkable transformation of GME to AFI at 280℃.
Introduction:
Michiel Dusselier has a MSc in Bioscience Engineering (KU Leuven, 2009) and studied in part at the Technische Universit?t München. He obtained his Ph.D. in 2013 under the guidance of Profs. Sels and Pierre Jacobs on the topic of tailoring catalytic routes toward lactic acid and biobased plastics, resulting in a patented new process, now sold to industry. In 2014?5, he performed postdoctoral work with Prof. Mark Davis at the California Institute of Technology, studying the synthesis of small-pore zeolites, the elusive GME zeolite and methanol conversion. He is an honorary fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and secretary of the Dutch Zeolite Association. He has published 35 academic papers, including in Science, Angew. Chem., J. Am. Chem. Soc. and Energy Environ. Sci. and deposited 6 patents. His work has been recognized by several prizes, including the ACS Breen memorial award in 2013, the 2016 Incentive Award of the Belgian Chemical societies ft. ChemPubSoc and the EOS Pipet of 2016.
He has recently been appointed to research Professor at KU Leuven. His current interests reside in zeolite synthesis, small-molecule catalysis and bioplastics.
Contact: HAN Jingfeng DNL12
Phone: 84379149