Fabrication of hierarchical zeolite 4A microspheres with improved adsorption capacity to bromofluoropropene and their fire suppression performance

•Hierarchical zeolite 4A microspheres were prepared from Kaolin precursor in a simple ethanol–water mixed solvent.•The concentration of ethanol in the solvent played a key role for the formation of zeolite 4A microspheres.•Zeolite 4A microspheres showed higher adsorption capacity to a clean fire suppressant of bromofluoropropene than that of cubic ones.•The microspheres soaked with bromofluoropropene showed better fire suppression performance than that of the cubic counterparts.