Selectively anchoring active centers on the external surface for forming highly exposed acid sites is a highly desirable but challenging task in zeolite catalyst synthesis. Herein, a defect-guided etching-regrowth strategy is rationally designed for facilely positioning Sn Lewis acid sites on the outer surface of the Sn-B-Beta while fabricating a bifunctional hierarchical structure. The synthesis was conducted by hydrothermal treatment of the as-made B-Beta (uncalcined), which has intrinsic defects of the BEA structure, with Sn source and basic organic structure directing agent (SDA). Under a moderate SDA concentration, with blocked micropore channels, such SDA-triggered etching-regrowth will proceed along the defect defined pathway, which ensures Sn selectively anchored on the external surface. Moreover, this methodology has exclusively introduced tetrahedrally coordinated framework Sn with open Sn sites as the predominated species. Mono- and disaccharide isomerizations in ethanol over different Sn-Beta catalysts proved the prominent advantages of the hierarchical structure with highly exposed and synergetic acid sites.

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