title: The Mosaic Structure of Zeolite Crystals.
abstract: Zeolites are widely used in many commercial processes, mostly as catalysts or adsorbents. Understanding their intimate structure at the nanoscale is the key to control their properties and design the best materials for their ever increasing uses. Herein, we report a new and controllable fluoride treatment for the non-discriminate extraction of zeolite framework cations. This sheds new light on the sub-structure of commercially relevant zeolite crystals: they are segmented along defect zones exposing numerous nanometer-sized crystalline domains, separated by low-angle boundaries, in what were apparent single-crystals. The concentration, morphology, and distribution of such domains analyzed by electron tomography indicate that this is a common phenomenon in zeolites, independent of their structure and chemical composition. This is a milestone to better understand their growth mechanism and rationally design superior catalysts and adsorbents.
authors: Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie, Normandie Univ, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CNRS, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, 14000, Caen, France.
authors: Zhengxing
authors: 0000-0002-0277-9885
authors: Z
authors: Qin
authors: Institut de Physique et de Chimie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, 23, rue du L oess BP 43, 67034, Strasbourg, France.
authors: Georgian
authors: G
authors: Melinte
authors: Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie, Normandie Univ, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CNRS, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, 14000, Caen, France.
authors: Jean-Pierre
authors: JP
authors: Gilson
authors: Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France.
authors: Maguy
authors: M
authors: Jaber
authors: Central Facility for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of California, Riverside 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
authors: Krassimir
authors: K
authors: Bozhilov
authors: CRISMAT, Normandie Univ, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CNRS, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, 14000, Caen, France.
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Boullay
authors: Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie, Normandie Univ, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CNRS, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, 14000, Caen, France.
authors: Svetlana
authors: S
authors: Mintova
authors: Institut de Physique et de Chimie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, 23, rue du L oess BP 43, 67034, Strasbourg, France.
authors: Ovidiu
authors: O
authors: Ersen
authors: Laboratoire Catalyse et Spectrochimie, Normandie Univ, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CNRS, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, 14000, Caen, France.
authors: Valentin
authors: 0000-0002-1092-4739
authors: V
authors: Valtchev
keywords: crystal engineering; fluoride etching; nanostructures; zeolites