ZEOLITE SCIENCE

S. Chandra Mohan

Introduction
Microporous (aperture diameter less than 2 nm),
Mesoporous (aperture diameter of 250 nm),
Macroporous (aperture diameters larger than 50 nm) materials,

Microporous to mesoporous to macroporous

From Natural Zeolites to Synthesized Zeolites
From Low-silica to High-silica Zeolites
From Zeolites to Aluminophosphate Molecular Sieves and

OtherMicroporous Phosphates
12-Membered-ring Micropores to Extra-large Micropores
Extra-large Micropores to Mesopores
Emergence of Macroporous Materials

Microporous Materials
Microporous materials with regular pore architectures comprise

wonderfully complex structures and compositions.

Zeolites - microporous materials.
crystalline aluminosilicate or silica polymorph based on cornersharing TO4, T-atoms (Si, Al, P, Ga, Ge, B, Be, etc.)
Zeolites have the ability to act as catalysts for chemical reactions
which take place within the internal cavities

Structural Building Units of Zeolites

Primary Building Units

T= Si,Al,P,B, Ga, Be, etc

18 SBU

Secondary Building Units (SBUs)

16 T

D4r

Cage-building Units

n-rings

Characteristic Chain- and Layer-building Units

Periodic Building Units (PBUs)

Composition of Zeolites
Lowensteins rule
Al(4 Si)
Si(0Al, 4Si) , Si(1Al, 3Si), Si(2Al, 2Si), Si(3Al, 1Si),

Si(4Al, 0Si)
Si/Al ratio -1 to
Si neutral no cations
Si4+ and Al3+ balanced by cations, Na, Li, K etc
Small-pore - LTA, SOD, and GIS 8 - 4 A .
Medium pore MFI 10-ring - 5.5A .
Large pore FAU, MOR, and *BEA -12 - 7.5 A .

Linde Type A ( LTA )

| Na

12

(H 2 O) 27 | 8 [Al 12 Si 12 O 48 ] 8

Three - dimensional eight - ring

linking sodalite cages through double four - rings

Faujasite ( FAU )
| (Ca,Mg,Na)

29

(H2O) 240 | [Al 58 Si 134 O 384 ]

Three - dimensional 12 - ring

linking sodalite cages through double six - rings
supercage

ZSM 5
| Nan (H 2 O) 16 | 8 [Al n Si 96-n O 192 ]
comprising pentasil chains

Mesoporous

2-50nm

MCM-41 (MCM stands for Mobil composite of matter)

MCM-48 and SBA-15 (SBA stands for University of

California, Santa Barbara)

Based on the diffraction characteristics, porous
materials may be divided into three types:
amorphous, sub-crystal, and crystal.
amorphous solid does not give any diffraction peaks
sub-crystal gives no diffraction peaks or very few
broad diffraction peaks
crystalline solid can produce a set of characteristic
diffraction peaks which correspond to its
crystallographic system and symmetry.
macroporous materials,ceramics and cement irregular pores and wide pore-size distribution.

MCM 41

MCM 48

SBA 15

properties
well defined pore sizes and shape, narrow pore-size

distribution;
highly ordered pore (or channel) structure system
at the nanometer level;
adjustable pore size in the range of 1:3 to 30 nm;
various structures, wall compositions, and pore
shapes;
high thermal and hydrothermal stability if properly
prepared or treated;
high surface area, large pore volume
various controllable regular morphologies at
different scale from nanometers to micrometers;

control the mesostructures

change various reactant concentrations, reaction

temperature, and reaction-mixture composition;

adjust the surfactant effective-packing parameter,
g by using different structured surfactants, adding
additives, or changing synthesis conditions.
MCM- 41
adjustable in the range of 1.510 nm and 4.0 nm
hexagonal or cylindrical?

Porous HostGuest assembley

zeolites with encapsulated metal clusters or

metal ion clusters, and occasionally in the

clusters there are nonmetal ligands such as
carbonyl groups.
Zeolites with dye molecules
Polymers or carbons such as fullerenes and
carbon nanotubes in zeolitic materials
Inorganic semiconductor particles in zeolites
Metal -complex-encapsulating zeolites.

Thank you