1. Novel synthesis routes for functional porous materials and the mechanisms behind

Functional porous materials, such as zeolites, have greatly contributed to a broad range of industrial processes, and their potential remains high. Affiliated to the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, our group aims to create a leading laboratory in zeolite synthesis. We endeavor to develop advanced synthesis techniques, discovery novel structures/functions, and develop new applications of zeolites. Meanwhile, we are devoted to design and establish synthesis platforms with high spatial and temporal resolutions, which in combination with both ex situ and in situ characterization techniques are supposed to identify and track the different types of basic units contributing to the crystallization of zeolites. The acquisition of the high-quality data will then further facilitate the development of accurate kinetic models that help us to elucidate the crystallization pathways and realize a rational synthesis of zeolites.

2. Development of metal-zeolite composite catalysts and adsorbents

Metal-containing zeolites combine unique shape selectivity and high stability of zeolite with the versatile functionalities of metal species, offering new opportunities to chemical transformations as well as separation of molecules. Optimal performances originate from the synergy between the guest metal species and the host zeolite, which generate geometric and/or electronic effects in a confined space. Our group innovates synthesis routes that can precisely integrate metal species of specific forms into either the framework or the interior space of zeolites. Through both experimental and computational approaches, we seek to elucidate the host-guest interactions and engineer the microenvironments in the confined space toward a rational design of catalyst/adsorbent at the nano scale. On the basis of these synthetic approaches, we hope to develop zeolite-based adsorbents for gas separation and CO₂ capture. To this end, diffusion kinetics and adsorption mechanisms will be systematically studied to gain insights as to how to improve selectivity and capacity of the adsorbents, and cost-effective production methods will be pursued to better facilitate future industrialization of these novel processes. On the other hand, we assume that metal-containing zeolites will play an important role in chemical upcycling of plastic wastes, which is an issue of high concern to addressing the white pollution problem and establishing a circular economy. The combination of metal catalysts and zeolites can potentially be capable of breaking down the used long-chain polymers into smaller species under a mild condition and with a precise controllability, thus converting the plastic wastes into high value-added chemicals with a reasonable cost.

3. Continuous-flow synthesis under high temperature and high pressure

The continuous-flow synthesis has emerged as a new paradigm in diverse fields. However, it remains a daunting challenge to run a continuous-flow synthesis under high temperature and high pressure conditions, which is often required for the synthesis of functional nanomaterials. One of the key issues lies in fundamental understandings into the mixing/dispersion states under such harsh environments and how they affect the reaction kinetics as well as fluid hydrodynamics. By combining both experimental and simulation approaches, our group strives to develop continuous-flow apparatuses and systems that can be operated under high temperature and high pressure conditions. As for a specific target, we are particularly interested in continuous-flow production of zeolites towards industrial applications. Besides scaling-up, the continuous flow synthesis is expected to increase the level of precision and tunability and is expected to facilitate the experimental exploration towards property-tailoring of zeolites. Therefore, we design and fabricate integrated continuous-flow systems to advance the syntheses of the zeolites with specific features and particular functionalities (e.g., zeolite nanosheets and metal-nanocluster-containing zeolites).

1. Start-up funds for new faculty, Tsinghua University (role: principal investigator)

2. Start-up funds for new faculty, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University (role: principal investigator)

3. Overseas Young Talents Project of China (role: principal investigator)

4. Major Research Project, Tsinghua-Sinopec Joint Research Institute on Green Chemical Engineering (role: co-Investigator & principal investigator for one of the Sub-projects)

1. Zhendong Liu,* Anand Chokkalingam, Shoko Miyagi, Masato Yoshioka, Tomoya Ishikawa, Hiroki Yamada, Koji Ohara, Nao Tsunoji, Yusuke Naraki, Tsuneji Sano, Tatsuya Okubo, and Toru Wakihara*. Revealing Scenarios of Interzeolite Conversion from FAU to AEI Through the Variation of Starting Materials. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2022, 24, 4136-4146 (featured as a Front Cover of the journal).

2. Riku Sato,^# Zhendong Liu,^#,* Ce Peng, Che Tan, Peidong Hu, Jie Zhu, Masamori Takemura, Yasuo Yonezawa, Hiroki Yamada, Akira Endo, Javier García-Martínez, Tatsuya Okubo, and Toru Wakihara*. Engineering Mesopore Formation in Hierarchical Zeolites under High Hydrostatic Pressure. Chemistry of Materials, 2021, 21, 8440-8446 (featured as a Supplementary Front Cover of the journal).

3. Keita Yamashita, Zhendong Liu,* Kenta Iyoki, Ching-Tien Chen, Shoko Miyagi, Yutaka Yanaba, Yusuke Yamauchi, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Synthetic and Natural MOR Zeolites as High-Capacity Adsorbents for the Removal of Nitrous Oxide. Chemical Communications, 2021, 57, 1312-1315 (featured as an Inside Front Cover of the journal).

4. Tatsushi Yoshioka, Zhendong Liu,* Kenta Iyoki, Anand Chokkalingam, Yasuo Yonezawa, Yuusuke Hotta, Ryohji Ohnishi, Takeshi Matsuo, Yutaka Yanaba, Koji Ohara, Takahiko Takewaki, Tsuneji Sano, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Ultrafast and Continuous-Flow Synthesis of AFX Zeolite via Interzeolite Conversion of FAU Zeolite. Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 2021, 6, 74-81. (featured as a Front Cover of the journal).

5. Umer Khalil, Zhendong Liu,* Ce Peng, Naomichi Hikichi, Toru Wakihara, Javier García-Martínez, Tatsuya Okubo and Sankar Bhattacharya*. Ultrafast Surfactant-Templating of *BEA Zeolite: An Efficient Catalyst for the Cracking of Polyethylene Pyrolysis Vapours. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 412, 128566.

6. Yuki Sada, Anand Chokkalingam, Kenta Iyoki, Masato Yoshioka, Tomoya Ishikawa, Yusuke Naraki, Yutaka Yanaba, Hiroki Yamada, Koji Ohara, Tsuneji Sano, Tatsuya Okubo, Zhendong Liu* and Toru Wakihara*. Tracking the Crystallization Behavior of High-Silica FAU during AEI-Type Zeolite Synthesis Using Acid Treated FAU-Type Zeolite. RSC Advances, 2021, 37, 23082-23089.

7. Raquel Simancas, Anand Chokkalingam, Shanmugam P Elangovan, Zhendong Liu, Tsuneji Sano, Kenta Iyoki and Toru Wakihara*. Recent Progress in the Improvement of Hydrothermal Stability of Zeolites. Chemical Science, 2021, 12, 7677-7695.

8. Jie Zhu, Ryota Osuga, Ryo Ishikawa, Naoya Shibata, Yuichi Ikuhara, Junko N. Kondo, Masaru Ogura, Jihong Yu, Toru Wakihara,* Zhendong Liu* and Tatsuya Okubo. Ultrafast Encapsulation of Metal Nanoclusters into MFI Zeolite in the Course of Its Crystallization: Catalytic Application for Propane Dehydrogenation. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020, 49, 19669-19674.

9. Jie Zhu, Zhendong Liu*, Le Xu, Takeshi Ohnishi, Yutaka Yanaba, Masaru Ogura, Toru Wakihara* and Tatsuya Okubo. Understanding the High Hydrothermal Stability and NH₃-SCR Activity of the Fast-Synthesized ERI Zeolite. Journal of Catalysis, 2020, 391, 346-356.

10. Jie Zhu, Vitaly Sushkevich, Amy Knorpp, Mark Newton, Stefanie C. M. Mizuno, Toru Wakihara, Tatsuya Okubo, Zhendong Liu* and Jeroen A. van Bokhoven*. Cu-Erionite Zeolite Achieves High Yield in Direct Oxidation of Methane to Methanol by Isothermal Chemical Looping. Chemistry of Materials, 2020, 4, 1448-1453.

11. Che Tan,^# Zhendong Liu,^# Yasuo Yonezawa, Sohei Sukenaga, Mariko Ando, Hiroyuki Shibata, Yukichi Sasaki, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara. Unique Crystallization Behavior in the Zeolite Synthesis under External High Pressure. Chemical Communications, 2020, 56, 2811-2814. (^#equal contribution)

12. Ce Peng, Zhendong Liu, Yasuo Yonezawa, Noemi Linares, Yutaka Yanaba, Carlos Alexander Trujillo, Tatsuya Okubo, Taiji Matsumoto, Javier García-Martínez* and Toru Wakihara*. Testing the Limits of Zeolite Structural Flexibility: Ultrafast Introduction of Mesoporosity in Zeolites. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2020, 2, 735-742.

13. Tatsushi Yoshioka, Zhendong Liu, Kenta Iyoki, Tsuneji Sano, Mariko Ando, Sohei Sukenaga, Hiroyuki Shibata, Tatsuya Okubo, and Toru Wakihara*. Rapid Synthesis of Hydrothermally Stable ZSM-5 in the Presence of 1-butanol. Chemistry Letters, 2020, 49, 1006-1008.

14. Zhendong Liu,* Jie Zhu, Ce Peng, Toru Wakihara and Tatsuya Okubo. Continuous Flow Synthesis of Ordered Porous Materials: From Zeolites to Metal-Organic Frameworks and Mesoporous Silica. Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 2019, 4, 1699-1720 (featured as a Front Cover of the journal).

15. Zhendong Liu, Jie Zhu, Toru Wakihara and Tatsuya Okubo*. Ultrafast Synthesis of Zeolites: Breakthrough, Progresses and Perspective. Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers, 2019, 6, 14-31.

16. Toyohiro Usui,^#* Zhendong Liu,^# Hirokazu Igarashi, Yukichi Sasaki, Yuji Shiramata, Hiroki Yamada, Koji Ohara, Tetsuro Kusamoto and Toru Wakihara*. Identifying the Factors Governing the Early-Stage Degradation of Cu-Chabazite Zeolite for NH₃-SCR. ACS Omega, 2019, 4, 3653-3659. (^#equal contribution).

17. Ce Peng, Zhendong Liu, Yasuo Yonezawa, Yutaka Yanaba, Naonobu Katada, Ikuma Murayama, Sakura Segoshi, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Ultrafast Post-Synthesis Treatment to Prepare ZSM-5@Silicalite-1 as A Core-Shell Structured Zeolite Catalyst. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2019, 277, 197-202.

18. Zhendong Liu, Wenyang Zhao, Prashant Kumar, Xinyu Li, Yasser Al Wahedi, Michael Tsapatsis* and Andreas Stein*. Direct Synthesis and Pseudomorphic Transformation of Mixed Metal Oxide Nanostructures with Non-Close-Packed Hollow Sphere Arrays. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2018, 57, 15707-15711.

19. Jie Zhu, Zhendong Liu, Yasuo Yonezawa, Kazuto Honda, Satoshi Okada, Shigeru Deguchi, Tatsuya Okubo* and Toru Wakihara*. Addressing the Viscosity Challenge: Ultrafast, Stable-Flow Synthesis of Zeolites with An Emulsion Method. Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 2018, 3, 844-848 (featured as a Back Cover of the journal).

20. Toyohiro Usui,^#* Zhendong Liu,^# Sayoko Ibe, Jie Zhu, Chokkalingam Anand, Hirokazu Igarashi, Naoki Onaya, Yukichi Sasaki, Yuji Shiramata, Tetsuro Kusamoto and Toru Wakihara*. Improve the Hydrothermal Stability of Cu-SSZ-13 Zeolite Catalyst by Loading a Small Amount of Ce. ACS Catalysis, 2018, 8, 9165-9173. (^#equal contribution)

21. Prashant Kumar, Zhendong Liu, Michael Tsapatsis, K Andre Mkhoyan*. Sulfidation-Oxidation Cycling of a H₂S Adsorbing Hollow Sphere Array. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2018, S1(24), 1800-1801.

22. Jie Zhu, Zhendong Liu, Sohei Sukenaga, Mariko Ando, Hiroyuki Shibata, Tatsuya Okubo* and Toru Wakihara*. Ultrafast Synthesis of *BEA Zeolite Without the Aid of Aging Pretreatment. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2018, 268, 1-8.

23. Ce Peng, Zhendong Liu, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Fast Synthesis of SSZ-24: A Pure Silica Zeolite with AFI Framework. Chemistry Letters, 2018, 47, 654-656.

24. Ce Peng, Zhendong Liu, Aoki Horimoto, Chokkalingam Anand, Hiroki Yamada, Koji Ohara, Sohei Sukenaga, Mariko Ando, Hiroyuki Shibata, Takahiko Takewaki, Rino R Mukti, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Preparation of Nanosized SSZ-13 Zeolite with Enhanced Hydrothermal Stability by a Two-Stage Synthetic Method. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2018, 255, 192-199.

25. Jie Zhu, Zhendong Liu, Kenta Iyoki, Anand Chokkalingam, Kaname Yoshida, Yukichi Sasaki, Sohei Sukenaga, Mariko Ando, Hiroyuki Shibata, Toru Wakihara* and Tatsuya Okubo*. Ultrafast Synthesis of High-Silica Erionite Zeolite with Improved Hydrothermal Stability. Chemical Communications, 2017, 53, 6796-6799.

26. Jie Zhu, Zhendong Liu, Akira Endo, Yutaka Yanaba, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Toru Wakihara* and Tatsuya Okubo*. Ultrafast, OSDA-Free Synthesis of Mordenite Zeolite. CrystEngComm, 2017, 19, 632-640.

27. Sibel Sogukkanli, Kenta Iyoki, Shanmugam P Elangovan, Keiji Itabashi, Miku Takano, Zhendong Liu, Satoshi Inagaki, Toru Wakihara, Yoshihiro Kubota and Tatsuya Okubo*. Rational Seed-Directed Synthesis of MSE-Type Zeolites Using a Simple Organic Structure-Directing Agent by Extending the Composite Building Unit Hypothesis. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2017, 245, 1-7.

28. Zhendong Liu, Kotatsu Okabe, Chokkalingam Anand, Yasuo Yonezawa, Jie Zhu, Hiroki Yamada, Akira Endo, Yutaka Yanaba, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Koji Ohara, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Continuous Flow Synthesis of ZSM-5 Zeolite on the Order of Seconds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2016, 113, 14267-14271.

29. Zhendong Liu,^# Toru Wakihara,^# Naoki Nomura, Chokkalingam Anand, Takeshi Matsuo, Shanmugam P. Elangovan, Yutaka Yanaba, Takeshi Yoshikawa and Tatsuya Okubo*. Ultrafast and Continuous Flow Synthesis of Silicoaluminophosphates. Chemistry of Materials, 2016, 28, 4840-4847. (^#equal contribution)

30. Chokkalingam Anand, Yudai Yamaguchi, Zhendong Liu, Sayoko Ibe, Shanmugam P. Elangovan, Toshihiro Ishii, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa, Akira Endo, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Pioneering In Situ Recrystallization during Bead Milling: A Top-down Approach to Prepare Zeolite A Nanocrystals. Scientific Report, 2016, 6, Article #: 29210.

31. Hiroki Yamada, Takayuki Iida, Zhendong Liu, Yusuke Naraki, Koji Ohara, Shinji Kohara, Tatsuya Okubo, Toru Wakihara*. Downsizing AFX Zeolite Crystals to Nanoscale by a Postmilling Recrystallization Method. Crystal Growth & Design, 2016, 16, 3389-3394.

32. Grandprix T. M. Kadja, Rino R. Mukti,* Zhendong Liu, Mita Rilyanti, Ismunandar, I Nyoman Narsih, Masaru Ogura, Toru Wakihara and Tatsuya Okubo. Mesoporogen-Free Synthesis of Hierarchically Porous ZSM-5 below 100 ^oC. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2016, 226, 344-352.

33. Zhendong Liu, Toru Wakihara, Chokkalingam Anand, Sye Hoe Keoh, Daisuke Nishioka, Yuusuke Hotta, Takeshi Matsuo, Takahiko Takewaki and Tatsuya Okubo*. Ultrafast Synthesis of Silicalite-1 Using a Tubular Reactor with a Feature of Rapid Heating. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2016, 223, 140-144.

34. Zhendong Liu, Toru Wakihara, Kazunori Oshima, Daisuke Nishioka, Yuusuke Hotta, Shanmugam P. Elangovan, Yutaka Yanaba, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Watcharop Chaikittisilp, Takeshi Matsuo, Takahiko Takewaki and Tatsuya Okubo*. Widening Synthesis Bottlenecks: Realization of Ultrafast and Continuous-Flow Synthesis of High-Silica Zeolite SSZ-13 for NO_x Removal. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2015, 54, 5683-5687.

35. Zhendong Liu, Naoki Nomura, Daisuke Nishioka, Yuusuke Hotta, Takeshi Matsuo, Kazunori Oshima, Yutaka Yanaba, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Koji Ohara, Shinji Kohara, Takahiko Takewaki, Tatsuya Okubo* and Toru Wakihara*. A Top-Down Methodology for Ultrafast Tuning of Nanosized Zeolites. Chemical Communications, 2015, 51, 12567-12570.

36. Takaaki Ikuno,^# Watcharop Chaikittisilp,^# Zhendong Liu, Takayuki Iida, Yutaka Yanaba, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Shinji Kohara, Toru Wakihara and Tatsuya Okubo*. Structure-Directing Behaviors of Tetraethylammonium Cations toward Zeolite Beta Revealed by the Evolution of Aluminosilicate Species Formed during the Crystallization Process. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2015, 137,14533-14544. (^#equal contribution)

37. Xiying Li, Watcharop Chaikittisilp, Zhendong Liu, Yutaka Yanaba, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Toru Wakihara and Tatsuya Okubo*. Synthesis of (Silico)aluminophosphate Molecular Sieves Using an Alkanolamine as a Novel Organic Structure-Directing Agent. Chemistry Letters, 2015, 44, 1300-1302.

38. Zhendong Liu, Toru Wakihara, Daisuke Nishioka, Kazunori Oshima, Takahiko Takewaki and Tatsuya Okubo*. Ultrafast Continuous-Flow Synthesis of Crystalline Microporous Aluminophosphate AlPO₄-5. Chemistry of Materials, 2014, 26, 2327-2331.

39. Zhendong Liu, Toru Wakihara, Daisuke Nishioka, Kazunori Oshima, Takahiko Takewaki and Tatsuya Okubo*. One-Minute Synthesis of Crystalline Microporous Aluminophosphate (AlPO₄-5) by Combining Fast Heating with A Seed-Assisted Method, Chemical Communications, 2014, 50, 2526-2528.

40. Takayuki Iida, Mitsutaka Sato, Zhendong Liu, Chiya Numako, Atsushi Nakahira, Tatsuya Okubo and Toru Wakihara*. Synthesis of MCM-41 with High Manganese Content by Mechanochemical Pretreatment of the Starting Materials. Chemistry Letters, 2014, 8, 1346-1348.

41. Zhendong Liu, Yangcheng Lu,* Man Zhang, Weiming Wan and Guangsheng Luo. Controllable Preparation of Uniform Polystyrene Nanospheres with Premix Membrane Emulsification. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2013, 3, 1202-1211.

42. Zhendong Liu, Yangcheng Lu,* Bodong Yang and Guangsheng Luo. Free Radical Polymerization of Butyl Acrylate in Monodispersed Droplets: Comparison between Two Heating Strategies. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2013, 1, 628-635.

43. Zhendong Liu, Yangcheng Lu,* Jiawei Wang and Guangsheng Luo. Mixing Characterization and Scaling-up Analysis of Asymmetrical T-shaped Micromixer: Experiment and CFD Simulation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2012, 181, 597-606.

44. Zhendong Liu, Yangcheng Lu,* Bodong Yang and Guangsheng Luo. Controllable Preparation of Poly (butyl acrylate) by Suspension Polymerization in Coaxial Capillary Microreactor. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2011, 2, 225-234.

45. Jing Tan, Zhendong Liu, Yangcheng Lu, Jianhong Xu and Guangsheng Luo*. Process Intensification of H₂O₂ Extraction Using Gas-Liquid-Liquid Microdispersion System. Separation and Purification Technology, 2011, 80, 225-234.

1. Okubo, Tatsuya; Wakihara, Toru; Liu, Zhendong; Takewaki, Takahiko; Oshima, Kazunori; Nishioka, Daisuke ; Zeolite production method, 2015-1-15, WIPO, WO2015005407A1 (PCT专利)

2. Okubo, Tatsuya; Wakihara, Toru; Liu, Zhendong; Takewaki, Takahiko; Oshima, Kazunori; Nishioka, Daisuke ; Zeolite production method, 2016-4-28, 美国, US20160115039A1 (美国专利)

3. (3) Schreyer, Hannah; Parvulescu, Andrei-Nicolae; Mueller, Ulrich; Okubo, Tatsuya; Wakihara, Toru; Iyoki, Kenta; Liu, Zhendong ; Process for a continuous synthesis of a CHA zeolitic material from an emulsion, 2020-11-12, WIPO, WO2020225409A1 (PCT专利)

4. Schreyer, Hannah; Parvulescu, Andrei-Nicolae; Mueller, Ulrich; Boehling, Ralf; Wakihara, Toru; Okubo, Tatsuya; Liu, Zhendong; Iyoki, Kenta ; Process for continuous interzeolitic conversion, 2021-6-24, WIPO, WO2021122533A1 (PCT专利)

5. 吕阳成; 骆广生; 刘振东 ; 一种微结构混合器, 2013-1-2, 中国, CN201110179977.0 (中国专利)

6. 大久保達也; 脇原徹; 劉振東; 武脇隆彦; 大島一典; 西岡大輔 ; ゼオライトの製造方法, 2018-9-14, 日本, 特許第6399557号 (日本专利)

7. 堀田悠介; 嶋寿; 武脇隆彦; 堤内出; 脇原徹; 伊與木健太; 大久保達也; 劉振東; 吉岡達史 ; ゼオライトの製造方法、ゼオライト、触媒、及び吸着剤, 2021-11-18, 日本, JP2021178746A (日本专利)

8. 吉岡真人; 石川智也; 楢木祐介; 劉振東; 佐野庸治; 脇原徹; 大久保達也 ; 結晶性アルミノシリケート及びこれを用いたゼオライトの製造方法, 2021-12-27, 日本, JP2021195300A (日本专利)

1. The First Prize for Basic Research, The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, 2021

2. Best Patent Award, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, 2021

3. Overseas Young Talents Project of China, 2020

4. Dean’s Award for Research, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2016

5. Best Master Thesis Award, Tsinghua University, 2012

6. Outstanding Graduate Award, Beijing Municipal Education Commission, 2012

Pingping Li (Research Assistant; next position: PhD student, Zhejiang University)