Preparation of uniform Silicalite-1 microspheres with large secondary pore architecture using monodisperse porous polystyrene particles as template

Abstract A new method was developed for preparation of silicalite-1 microspheres with uniform diameter about 2.5 μm using monodispersed micron-sized poly- styrene- co -divinylbenzene (PSD) porous particles as template. In this method, the PSD particles were impregnated first with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and then with tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH). After crystallization and calcination, the silicalite-1 microspheres, possessing a regularly spherical morphology similar to the original silicalite-1, were successfully synthesized. More importantly, the silicalite-1 microspheres have large secondary pores in the range of 40 to 120 nm and high pore volume up to 0.7 cm 3 g − 1 . All these would facilitate the applications of microspheres in catalysis avoiding diffusion limitation.