Abstract
Zeolites are widely used as catalysts or supports for catalysts in the processing of biomass waste into biofuels and value-added chemicals. Unlike chemicals derived from petroleum, molecules derived from biomass usually contain a large number of oxygen-containing groups, which makes their catalytic transformations even more complex. The development of multifunctional nanostructured zeolite-based catalysts and an understanding of their complex relationships between structure and properties are essential for successful cascade catalytic reactions of biomass processing. A cascade (or tandem) reaction is realized when several reaction stages are performed within a one-step process, which require different catalysts. For these reactions to be successful, two- or multi-functional catalysts or mixtures of catalysts are required at each reaction stage. In this review article, the main design factors of the zeolite-based catalyst that affect the structure–properties ratio, which may vary depending on the type of catalyst, are discussed. The main factors include the number and strength of acidic and basic sites, the interaction between them and metal sites, synergistic effects, the size and morphology of nanoparticles (NPs), nanostructures, porosity, etc.
