Synthesis of dicationic ionic liquids and their application in the preparation of hierarchical zeolite Beta.

Piperidine- and imidazole-based dicatoinic ionic liquids have been developed for the synthesis of zeolite Beta. Hierarchical Beta has a larger surface area and pore volume than conventional Beta. Beta derived from a dicationic ionic liquid exhibited remarkably higher catalytic activity than the conventional Beta. Experimental evidence and DFT calculations suggest that only a suitable conformation of such dicationic ionic liquids is able to form zeolite Beta (see scheme).