Template-Free Synthesis of High-Content Vanadium-Doped ZSM-5 with Enhanced Catalytic Performance

The high cost of preparation of transition metal doped ZSM-5 zeolite is limited to the use of organic template such as tetrapropylammonium hydroxide or tetrapropylammonium bromide. In this work, vanadium atom was successfully incorporated into the framework of ZSM-5 zeolite without using any organic template. Moreover, the method not only decreases the preparation cost of vanadium doped ZSM-5, but also greatly enhances the utilization ratio of vanadium atom. Vanadium atom mainly exists as tetrahedral coordination in the framework of ZSM-5 which was demonstrated by the ultraviolet visible and X-ray photoelectron spectrum. Furthermore, vanadium doped ZSM-5 performs high and stability catalytic activity in the oxidation of styrene compared to that of the catalyst prepared by the traditional organic template method ascribe to the greatly increase of tetrahedral vanadium species.