Molecular Sieves, Multifunctional Microporous Materials in Organic Synthesis

Zeolites and molecular sieves are microporous materials with an increasing number of applications. Established applications of molecular sieves are in the field of oil refining processes, selective adsorption and ion exchange. Nowadays, zeolites come to the fore as clean, selective and recyclable catalysts in petrochemistry, e.g., in aromatic alkylation. Zeolites are considered to have a high potential for the synthesis of commodities and fine chemicals due to their molecular sized pores. Nevertheless, only a few commercial applications in fine chemical synthesis are known. Based on the essential criteria, extracted from the organic reaction under consideration, some of the potential pitfalls in selecting and screening zeolites as potential catalysts are discussed.