Functional structural body and method for making functional structural body

A functional structural body, comprising:

• a skeletal body of a porous structure composed of a zeolite-type compound;
• and
• at least one type of metallic nanoparticles present in the skeletal body,
• wherein the skeletal body has channels connecting with each other, and
• the metallic nanoparticles are present at least in the channels of the skeletal body,
• the channels have any one of a one-dimensional pore, a two-dimensional pore, and a three-dimensional pore defined by the framework of the zeolite-type compound and an enlarged pore portion which has an inner diameter larger than any one of the one-dimensional pore, the two-dimensional pore, and the three-dimensional pore inherent to the framework of the zeolite-type compound,
• the one-dimensional pore is a tunnel-shaped or cage-shaped pore forming a one-dimensional channel;
• or a plurality of tunnel- shaped or cage- shaped pores forming a plurality of one-dimensional channels,
• the two-dimensional pore is a two-dimensional channel in which a plurality of one-dimensional channels is connected two-dimensionally,
• the three-dimensional pore is a three-dimensional channel in which a plurality of one-dimensional channels is connected three-dimensionally, and
• the metallic nanoparticles are present at least in the enlarged pore portion,
• wherein a particle size of the metallic nanoparticles is larger than any one of the one-dimensional pore, the two-dimensional pore, and the three-dimensional pore of the zeolite-type compound,
• wherein the zeolite-type compound is selected from the group consisting of zeolites, cation exchanged zeolites and silicalites,
• wherein a framework of the zeolite-type compound is selected from the group consisting of FAU type (Y type or X type), MTW type, MFI type (ZSM-5), FER type (ferrierite), LTA type (A type), MWW type (MCM-22), MOR type (mordenite), LTL type (L type), and BEA type (beta type),
• wherein the enlarged pore portion is not defined by the framework of the zeolite-type compound, and is greater than or equal to a diameter of the metallic nanoparticles.