cm6b03688_si_004.avi (21.62 MB)
In Situ Time-Resolved Observation of the Development of Intracrystalline Mesoporosity in USY Zeolite
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posted on 2016-12-02, 16:49 authored by Noemi Linares, Alexander Sachse, Elena Serrano, Aida Grau-Atienza, Erika De Oliveira Jardim, Joaquín Silvestre-Albero, Marco Aurelio Liutheviciene Cordeiro, François Fauth, Garikoitz Beobide, Oscar Castillo, Javier García-MartínezThe development of intracrystalline
mesoporosity within zeolites
has been a long-standing goal in catalysis as it greatly contributes
to alleviating the diffusion limitations of these widely used microporous
materials. The combination of in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction
and liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy enabled the first
in situ observation of the development of intracrystalline mesoporosity
in zeolites and provided structural and kinetic information on the
changes produced in zeolites to accommodate the mesoporosity. The
interpretation of the time-resolved diffractograms together with computational
simulations evidenced the formation of short-range hexagonally ordered
mesoporosity within the zeolite framework, and the in situ electron
microscopy studies allowed the direct observation of structural changes
in the zeolite during the process. The evidence for the templating
and protective role of the surfactant and the rearrangement of the
zeolite crystal to accommodate intracrystalline mesoporosity opens
new and exciting opportunities for the production of tailored hierarchical
zeolites.