Question

Describe some features of catalysis by zeolites.

Answer 1

Hint: Catalysts are those which cause or accelerate a chemical reaction without affecting itself, here zeolite is also a catalyst which occurs naturally but are also produced industrially too on a large scale. These are crystalline solid structures made of silicone, aluminium and oxygen forming a frame with cavities and channels within which cations, water and/or small molecules can reside.

Complete step by step answer:
There are many type of catalyst and their reaction but when we talk about the catalytic reaction that depends upon the structure(pore) of catalyst and size of the reactant and product molecules then it is called as shape selective catalysis and as we know Zeolites are good shape selective catalyst because of their honeycomb like structure. They have micro-porous alumina-silicate with the three dimensional network of silicates in which some silicone atoms are replaced by aluminium atoms giving $Al-O-Si$ like frame-work. Now if we talk about the reactions taking place in zeolites which depend upon the size and shape of reactant and product molecules as well as upon the pores and cavities of zeolites.
Zeolites are used widely as catalysts in petrochemical industries for splitting of hydrocarbons and isomerisation. An important zeolite catalyst used in the petroleum industry is $ZSM-5$, it can convert alcohols directly into gasoline (petrol) by dehydrating them to give a mixture of hydrocarbons.

The application of zeolite shown as follows:
In petrochemical industries (for cracking of hydrocarbon and isomerisation), Example $ZSM-5$.
Use in $Hard-water\xrightarrow{ZSM-5}Soft-water$.
Use in $Alcohol\xrightarrow{ZSM-5}Petrol$.

Note: -As we know shape-selective catalysts are those which depend upon the pore structure of the catalyst like zeolite and which also depends upon the size of reactant and product.
-Zeolites are a good shape selective catalyst because of their honeycomb like structure.
-They have micropores of alumina-silicates with a $3D$ network of silicates.
-They are found in nature as well as synthesized for catalytic selectivity.