We successfully designed Zn ion doped ZSM-5/silicalite-1 core-shell zeolite catalyst. On methanol to para-xylene (MTpX) over the core-shell catalyst, p-xylene yield was 40.7 C-mol% and para-selectivity (para-xylene selectivity in xylene isomers) was higher than 99 C-mol%, which substantially exceeds the other results reported in the literature. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.