Case closed on how surfactant micelles create mesopores within zeolites

For years, zeolite researchers have argued over how surfactants create mesopores in zeolites, key catalysts in oil refining. Now, a new study settles the debate. Raman spectroscopy shows surfactants form micelles inside the zeolite, templating the mesopores from within.

‘Some authors suggested the formation of mesopores involved the dissolution of the zeolite to produce an additional amorphous phase,’ explains Javier García Martínez, from the University of Alicante, Spain, who co-leads the work. However, this proposal didn’t explain some properties of the zeolites, such as their stability and superior catalytic performance. ‘We suggest that individual surfactant molecules penetrate the zeolite crystals and, when the concentration is high enough, micelles form [and] create the mesopores,’ he adds.