Role of ethanol in sodalite crystallization in an ethanol–Na2O–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O system

Yi Huang; Jianfeng Yao; Xueyi Zhang; Chunhua (Charlie) Kong; Huiyong Chen; Dongxia Liu; Michael Tsapatsis; Matthew R. Hill; Anita J. Hill; Huanting Wang

doi:10.1039/C1CE05194F

Role of ethanol in sodalite crystallization in an ethanol–Na₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O system†

Yi Huang,^ab Jianfeng Yao,^a Xueyi Zhang,^b Chunhua (Charlie) Kong,^c Huiyong Chen,^b Dongxia Liu,^b Michael Tsapatsis,^b Matthew R. Hill,^de Anita J. Hill*^e and Huanting Wang*^a

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* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
E-mail: huanting.wang@monash.edu.
Fax: +61-3-9905-5686
Tel: +61-3-9905-3449

^b University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, USA

^c Electron Microscope Unit, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

^d School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

^e Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Materials Science and Engineering, Private Bag 33, Clayton South, Victoria, Australia
E-mail: anita.hill@csiro.au
Fax: + 61-3-9544-1128
Tel: + 61-3-9545-2665

Abstract

Crystallization of sodalite was studied in an ethanol–Na₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O system. The addition of ethanol was observed to significantly affect the crystallization process and final crystal sizes and morphologies. Micron-sized sodalite particles with disc and thread-ball-like shapes were produced at low ethanol contents whereas sodalite particles with core-shell nanostructures were dominant at high ethanol contents. Prolongation of the reaction time led to hollow architectures with polycrystalline shells. This study showed that the formation of core-shell and hollow sodalite structures followed a surface crystallization process, including the following steps: the formation of amorphous spherical aggregates, multiple nucleation on the surface, growth of shell nanocrystals, and amorphous core digestion. The present work provides new insights into a better understanding of the role of ethanol in zeolite crystallization, and controllable synthesis of sodalite crystals with different morphologies.

CrystEngComm

Role of ethanol in sodalite crystallization in an ethanol–Na₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O system†

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Role of ethanol in sodalite crystallization in an ethanol–Na₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O system

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