Catalytic and\nElectrochemical Study of Cu-ZSM-5/MCM-41

Hierarchically structured micro-mesoporous ZSM-5/MCM-41\ncomposite\nmaterials incorporating copper ions were synthesized using pre-synthesized\nZSM-5 and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a template for\nforming the MCM-41 structure. The composites were characterized through\npowder X-ray diffraction, N<sub>2</sub> adsorption–desorption,\ndiffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), Fourier transform\ninfrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron\nmicroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction\nconfirmed well-ordered ZSM-5 and MCM-41 structures, and UV–vis\nDRS showed successful copper ion incorporation. N<sub>2</sub> adsorption–desorption\nrevealed the presence of both microporous and mesoporous structures.\nTo evaluate their catalytic performance, Cu-incorporated ZSM-5/MCM-41\ncomposite catalysts were assessed through the oxidation reaction of\nethylbenzene using <i>tert</i>-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)\nas the oxidizing agent. With a 9% (w/w) Cu-ZM-5 (5 wt % copper-incorporated\nZSM-5/MCM-41) catalyst and an oxidant to ethylbenzene molar ratio\nof 2:1 at 40 °C in the absence of a solvent for 4 h, the process\nyielded acetophenone (93.2%) as the major product. Additionally, these\nCu-incorporated composites were examined as electrode materials for\nelectrochemical storage. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge\nstudies showed that Cu-ZM-5 exhibited pseudocapacitive behavior, with\na capacitance of up to 366 F g<sup>–1</sup> at a current density\nof 1 A g<sup>–1</sup>, surpassing ZSM-5 and ZSM-5/MCM-41. These\nresults highlight Cu-ZM-5′s potential as an effective electrode\nmaterial for electrochemical storage applications like supercapacitors.