Catalytic reactions enhanced under microwave-induced local thermal non-equilibrium in a core-shell, carbon-filled zeolite@zeolite

A core-shell, carbon-filled zeolite@zeolite was created through the epitaxial growth of shell zeolite on a core zeolite filled with carbon. The catalytic dehydrations of alcohols on the core-shell structure were enhanced under microwave irradiation by comparison with conventional heating using an oil bath at the same solution temperatures; however, the dehydrations on the sole core zeolite were not enhanced under microwave irradiation, which indicated the presence of a higher temperature area in the shell near the border with the core. The core-shell structure exhibited thermal non-equilibrium with microwave irradiation because of the extremely different dielectric losses of the core and the shell; that is, the carbon in the core generated much heat from microwaves, but the shell did not.