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The synthesis protocols for encapsulation of metal clusters reported here expand the diversity in catalytic chemistries made possible by the ability of microporous solids to select reactants, transition states, and products on the basis of their molecular size. We report a synthesis strategy for the encapsulation of noble metals and their oxides within SOD (Sodalite, 0.28 nm × 0.28 nm), GIS (Gismondine, 0.45 nm × 0.31 nm), and ANA (Analcime, 0.42 nm × 0.16 nm) zeolites. Encapsulation was achieved via direct hydrothermal synthesis for SOD and GIS using metal precursors stabilized by ammonia or organic amine ligands, which prevent their decomposition or precipitation as colloidal hydroxides at the conditions of hydrothermal synthesis (<380 K) and favor interactions between metal precursors and incipient aluminosilicate nuclei during self-assembly of microporous frameworks. The synthesis of ANA requires higher crystallization temperatures (~415 K) and high pH (>12), thereby causing precipitation of even ligand-stabilized metal precursors as hydroxides. As a result, encapsulation was achieved by the recrystallization of metal clusters containing GIS into ANA, which retained these metal clusters within voids throughout the GIS-ANA transformation.

The encapsulation of metal clusters (Pt, Ru, Rh) within MFI was achieved by exchanging cationic metal precursors into a parent zeolite (BEA, FAU), reducing them with H2 to form metal clusters, and transforming these zeolites into daughter structures of higher framework density (MFI) under hydrothermal conditions. These transformations required MFI seeds or organic templates for FAU parent zeolites, but not for BEA, and occurred with the retention of encapsulated clusters. Clusters uniform in size (1.3-1.7 nm) and exposing clean and accessible surfaces formed in BEA and FAU zeolites; their size remained essentially unchanged upon transformation into MFI. Encapsulation selectivities, determined from the relative hydrogenation rates of small (toluene) and large (alkyl arenes) molecules and defined as the ratio of the surface areas of all the clusters in the sample to that of external clusters, were very high (8.1-40.9) for both parent and daughter zeolites. Encapsulation into MFI via direct hydrothermal syntheses was unsuccessful because metal precursors precipitated prematurely at the pH and temperatures required for MFI synthesis. Delayed introduction of metal precursors and F(-) (instead of OH(-)) as the mineralizing agent in hydrothermal syntheses increased encapsulation selectivities, but they remained lower than those achieved via interzeolite transformations. These interconversions provide a general and robust strategy for encapsulation of metals when precursors can be introduced via exchange into a zeolite that can be transformed into target daughter zeolites with higher framework densities, whether spontaneously or by using seeds or structure-directing agents (SDA).

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