Opening sodalite cages of X zeolite for boosting toluene side-chain alkylation performance

Here, we report a controllable (mild conditions) and tunable NH4F treatment, which sustains the framework integrity and porosity of X zeolite. This strategy increases micropore volume, resulting from the partial opening of sodalite cages. As more reactants and active sites become accessible, the performances of fluoride modified catalysts for toluene side-chain alkylation are improved.