In this study, a series of SnO 2 modified zeolite catalysts (Snx-S-1; x is the weight percentage of Sn) were prepared with SnCl 2 and a defective Silicalite-1 (S-1) zeolite via facile deposition-precipitation method. It was found that the stannic species modified all-silica zeolite catalysts were active for the intermolecular condensation of ethylenediamine (EDA) to 1, 2-Diazabicyclo [2, 2, 2] octane (TEDA) and piperazine (PIP). The best catalyst Sn6-S-1 (6 wt.% Sn loading) showed 86% EDA conversion and 93% total selectivity to TEDA and PIP. By contrast, the defective S-1 zeolite parent showed only approximately 9% EDA conversion under the same conditions. With the help of catalyst characterization techniques including hydroxyl vibration and pyridine adsorption FT-IR spectroscopy (transmission mode), the enhancement of the catalytic activity of the SnO 2 modified zeolite catalysts (Snx-S-1) was mainly attributed to the formation of mild Lewis acid sites in the siliceous zeolite. Both the hydroxyl nests of the defective S-1 zeolite and the dispersed SnO 2 clusters should be the important factors for the formation of mild Lewis acid sites on the modified zeolite. Based on the catalytic performance of the modified zeolite in the conversion of EDA to PIP and TEDA, it is inferred that the mildly acidified defective S-1 zeolite by the SnO 2 deposition modification might become a very active and durable catalyst for reactions involving strongly alkaline reactants and products.Catalysts 2020, 10, 211 2 of 16 hydroxyl groups) of H-ZSM-5 zeolite. For this reason, some modification methods such as alkali metal ion modification [7] and dealumination [9], etc. have been proposed to weaken the strength of acidic sites in H-ZSM-5. However, such efforts often cause negative effects such as worse diffusivity due to pore channel blocking. In 2003, titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) was patented for the reaction of EDA to TEDA and PIP [10]. Later, people conducted a detailed study on the intermolecular condensation of EDA to make PIP and TEDA over TS-1 zeolite [11]. Silicalite-1 (S-1) zeolite is an aluminum-free crystalline silicate with the same MFI topological framework as the Al-containing ZSM-5 zeolite and Ti-containing silicate zeolite (TS-1). It is well known that the presence of defective sites in S-1 lattice can form mild acidity (silanol nests). The defective S-1 zeolite has been reported as an active Beckmann rearrangement catalyst [12][13][14][15]. However, previous study indicated that the defective S-1 zeolite itself was not very active and selective for the reaction of EDA to TEDA and PIP, giving only 19.5% EDA conversion and 7.5% TEDA selectivity [11]. This implies that the acidity of defective S-1 is too weak to be an efficient catalyst for the conversion of EDA.In recent years, Sn-β zeolite has attracted increasing attention because its isolated framework Sn is an active Lewis acid site for many reactions, including Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, sugar isomerization, and Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reaction [16,17]. Sn-MFI zeol...