2009 Spring Symposium
Allen Burton
Chevron Research
Richmond, California
Abstract — The zeolite community has recently prepared a number of new zeolite structures byemploying diquaternary ammonium molecules as structure directing agents (SDAs). Inparticular, several novel multidimensional medium-pore zeolites have been discovered thatprovide interesting comparisons with ZSM-5 in their structural features and catalytic behaviours.I will first discuss how we have used diquaternary pyrrolidinium molecules in fluoride-mediatedgels to synthesize new zeolites like SSZ-74, SSZ-75, and SSZ-83. I will emphasize the structuralelucidation and properties of SSZ-74, an exceptional zeolite that possesses ordered tetrahedralsite vacancies. In the second part of the discussion, I will describe how we have prepareddiquaternary ammonium molecules from enamine precursors. One of these SDA is used toprepare the novel zeolite SSZ-82, and several of the molecules are selective for thealuminosilicate and borosilicate versions of the SSZ-26/33 family, which has very few knownSDA molecules
Speaker’s Biography — Allen Burton received his BS in Chemistry at the University of Maryland at College Park, and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware under the guidance of Prof. Raul Lobo. It was here Allen discovered his passion for zeolite synthesis, which he continued under the postdoctoral guidance of Prof Mark Davis at CalTech. In 2001, Allen accepted a position in the research group at Chevron’s Research facility in Richmond, CA. Despite his admitted ineptitude in the game of golf, on weekends he can sometimes be found at the golf range (swearing at golf balls and throwing his irons).