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.