Heterogeneous catalysts have been a central element in the efficient conversion of fossil resources to fuels and chemicals, but their role in biomass utilization is more ambiguous. Zeolites constitute a promising class of heterogeneous catalysts and developments in recent years have demonstrated their potential to find broad use in the conversion of biomass. In this perspective we review and discuss the developments that have taken place in the field of biomass conversion using zeolites. Emphasis is put on the conversion of lignocellulosic material to fuels using conventional zeolites as well as conversion of sugars using Lewis acidic zeolites to produce useful chemicals.

The small-pore pure silica zeolite ITQ-12 has been synthesized with fumed silica as the silica source in the presence of 1,3,4-trimethylimidazolium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid under hydrothermal conditions at 448 K. Rietveld refinement using synchrotron X-ray diffraction data of the calcined ITQ-12 product taken at 298 K confirms the proposed topology, framework type code ITW, which can be described by a monoclinic unit cell [Si(24)O(48)] having Cm symmetry. Unit cell parameters are a = 10.3360(4), b = 15.0177(6), and c = 8.8639(4) A, beta = 105.356(3) degrees, and cell volume V = 1326.76(9) A(3). For as-synthesized ITQ-12, the occluded fluoride anion is located inside the double four-membered ring, while the flat 1,3,4-trimethylimidazolium cation lies on the equatorial plane of the slit-shaped [4(4)5(4)6(4)8(4)] cage, with its longest dimension in the [010] direction. The monoclinic unit cell |(C(6)N(2)H(11))(+)(2)F(-)(2)|[Si(24)O(48)], having Cm symmetry, has parameters a = 10.4478(3), b = 14.9854(4), and c = 8.8366(3) A, beta = 105.935(2) degrees, and cell volume V = 1330.34(7) A(3) at 298 K. Cooperative structure-directing effects during the crystallization of ITQ-12 are discussed in terms of the structure of the as-made material.

are more convenient and secure to be transported and stored. However, the conversion efficiencies of these AORs are commonly inferior to hydrogen oxidation. This is partially due to the sluggish kinetics of multielectrons' transferred processes inside alcohols (e.g., methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol). [7][8][9][10][11] In this regard, various catalysts of both noble and non-noble metals have been designed and synthesized to boost such sluggish AORs. Although noble metal catalysts (e.g., Pd, Pt, and Rh) are more expensive than non-noble metals (e.g., Ni, Co, and Mn), their more negative AOR onset potentials make them superior for the construction of DAFCs, [4,5,11] originating from their unique electronic structures. Among reported noble-based catalysts, those based on the Pt metal are regarded as the star electrocatalysts for the AORs in terms of their oxidation overpotentials and Tafel slopes. [12,13] Notably, their alloys with other metals (e.g., Ru, Ni, Co, Pd, Rh, and Au) exhibit strong adsorption capability toward OH species or a so-called bifunctional mechanism, leading to improved AOR performance. [14][15][16][17] On the other hand, the serious poisoning effect of the carbonaceous intermediates (especially CO) hinders dramatically the activity of the used catalysts (especially the Pt catalysts) and eventually leads to much reduced conversion efficiencies of the AORs. [18,19] In this context, the screwlike PdPt alloy nanowires [19] and PdPt alloy nanoparticles [20] have been employed to replace single metallic Pt catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation reaction (MOR). Originating from varied electronic structures that are induced by the addition of Pd atoms, these PdPt alloys have been confirmed as commendable MOR catalysts. Although the sizes and compositions of these catalysts have been tuned and the AOR performance on these catalysts has been explored, the performance of these bimetallic heterostructures/catalysts is still far away for their commercial applications. The catalysts featuring superior AOR performance over those reported are still highly demanded for the construction of high-performance DAFCs.It has been well known that the optimization of these noble-metallic heterostructures/catalysts with respect to their morphologies and exposed facets is helpful to enhance their catalytic performance. [21][22][23][24] Among various heterostructures, a catalyst with a core-shell structure has been attracted special attention. [25][26][27][28][29][30] Its structure and its catalytic activity of the shell are revealed to be highly dependent on the used core. [31][32][33][34] This is because the strain effect (expansion or compression) can be Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) utilize alcohol electro-oxidation reactions (AORs) to provide electricity, where catalysts with optimal electronic structures are required to accelerate sluggish AORs. Herein, an electrocatalyst with an Au-nanorod core and a PdPt-alloy shell is designed. Its electronic structures are modulated through epitaxial growth ...