Mechanistic Study of Zeolite Crystallization Published in Nat. Commun.

In this manuscript we use scanning probe microscopy to monitor zeolite LTA crystallization in situ with a spatiotemporal resolution that captures dynamic processes in real time. We report a distinctive pathway involving the formation of gel-like islands from supersaturated solutions comprised of (alumino)silicate molecules. Three-dimensional assembly and evolution of these islands constitutes a unique mode of growth that differs from classical theories. Time-resolved imaging also reveals that growth can occur by (nearly) oriented attachment. At later stages of crystallization, a progressive transition to lower supersaturation shifts growth to a layered mechanism involving two-dimensional nucleation and spreading of layers.

The blog entitled “Peering into the Black Box of Zeolite Crystallization” was posted on the Nature Research Chemistry Community: [Blog Posting]