Crystal Engineering for Catalysis

Crystal engineering relies upon the ability to predictively control intermolecular interactions during the assembly of crystalline materials in a manner that leads to a desired (and predetermined) set of properties. Economics, scalability, and ease of design must be leveraged with techniques that manipulate the thermodynamics and kinetics of crystal nucleation and growth. It is often challenging to exact simultaneous control over multiple physicochemical properties, such as crystal size, habit, chirality, polymorph, and composition. Engineered materials often rely upon postsynthesis (top-down) processes to introduce properties that would otherwise be challenging to attain through direct (bottom-up) approaches. We discuss the application of crystal engineering to heterogeneous catalysts with a focus on four general themes: ( a) tailored nanocrystal size, ( b) controlled environments surrounding active sites, ( c) tuned morphology with well-defined facets, and ( d) hierarchical materials with disparate pore size and active site distributions. We focus on nonporous materials, including metals and metal oxides, and two classes of porous materials: zeolites and metal organic frameworks. We review novel synthesis methods involving synergistic experimental and computational design approaches, the challenges facing catalyst development, and opportunities for future advancement in crystal engineering.