ZSM-48 zeolite, possessing the MRE framework topology with a unique one-dimensional sinusoidal 10-membered ring (10-MR) channel system (~0.54 × 0.56 nm), has attracted sustained interest as a medium-pore molecular sieve catalyst. Despite sharing similar pore dimensions with its well-known counterpart ZSM-5 (MFI topology), ZSM-48 exhibits distinct diffusion characteristics, acidity distributions, and catalytic selectivities owing to its different channel geometry. This article provides a comprehensive review of the catalytic applications of ZSM-48 zeolite, covering methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) conversion, aromatic transformations, alkane cracking/isomerization, and emerging applications. The structure–performance relationships are critically discussed, with particular emphasis on how the sinusoidal channel architecture governs product selectivity and catalyst stability compared to ZSM-5.
Keywords: ZSM-48; MRE zeolite; sinusoidal channels; methanol-to-hydrocarbons; shape-selective catalysis; acid catalysis
Since the discovery of ZSM-5 in the early 1970s, the ZSM (Zeolite Socony Mobil) family of zeolites has become one of the most industrially important classes of microporous catalysts. Among the lesser-known but structurally intriguing members of this family, ZSM-48 (framework code MRE, IZA Database) occupies a unique position. First synthesized by Kokotailo and colleagues in 1978 [1], ZSM-48 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Immm and features a one-dimensional channel system composed of sinusoidal 10-membered rings, distinguishing it from the straight-channel ZSM-5 (MFI) and the intersecting-channel ZSM-11 (MEL).
Although ZSM-48 has never achieved the commercial scale of ZSM-5 or ZSM-11, its distinctive structural features make it an excellent model system for understanding the role of channel geometry on diffusion, confinement effects, and catalytic selectivity in shape-selective catalysis. Over the past two decades, ZSM-48 has been extensively studied in methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) chemistry, aromatic conversions, and light alkane transformations, revealing selectivities that are in some cases superior to ZSM-5.
This review aims to provide a systematic and up-to-date account of the catalytic applications of ZSM-48 zeolite, with a focus on structure–activity correlations.
