Zeolites have been game-changing materials in oil refining and petrochemistry over the last 60 years and have the potential to play the same role in the emerging processes of the energy and environmental transition. Although zeolites are crystalline inorganic solids, their structures are not perfect and the presence of defect sites – mainly Brønsted acid sites and silanols – influences their thermal and chemical resistance as well as their performances in key areas such as catalysis, gas and liquid separations and ion-exchange. In this paper, we review the type of defects in zeolites and the characterization techniques used for their identification and quantification with the focus on diffraction, spectroscopic and modeling approaches. More specifically, throughout the review, we will focus on silanol (Si–OH) defects located within the micropore structure and/or on the external surface of zeolites. The main approaches applied to engineer and heal defects and their consequences on the properties and applications of zeolites in catalysis and separation processes are highlighted. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of silanol defect engineering in tuning the properties of zeolites to meet the requirements for specific applications are presented.

中文翻译：

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沸石中的硅烷醇缺陷工程和修复：微调其性质和性能的机会

在过去的 60 年里，沸石一直是炼油和石化领域改变游戏规则的材料，并且有可能在能源和环境转型的新兴过程中发挥同样的作用。虽然沸石是结晶无机固体，但它们的结构并不完美，缺陷位点的存在——主要是布朗斯台德酸位点和硅烷醇——影响了它们的耐热性和耐化学性以及它们在催化、气液分离和离子等关键领域的性能-交换。在本文中，我们回顾了沸石中的缺陷类型以及用于其识别和量化的表征技术，重点是衍射、光谱和建模方法。更具体地说，在整个审查过程中，我们将关注位于微孔结构内和/或沸石外表面上的硅烷醇 (Si-OH) 缺陷。重点介绍了应用于工程和修复缺陷的主要方法及其对沸石在催化和分离过程中的性质和应用的影响。最后，介绍了硅醇缺陷工程在调整沸石性能以满足特定应用要求方面的挑战和机遇。