Reactions in Zeolites

The unique ability to tune the confining environment around an active site, as well as the distance between active sites in zeolites leads to very promising catlaytic activity. While many industrial applications such as catalytic cracking and hydrocracking are well established, zeolites offer the unique potential to facilitate the production of several specialty chemicals as well. Our group has focused on understanding the mechanism of carboxylic acid coupling to make higher value products through ketonization and very promising acylation reactions over acidic zeolite catalysts. More recently, we have also begun to investigate the interesting role that water plays through interaction of various transition states relevant to hydrocarbon activation within a zeolite pore.