The ADOR (Assembly-Disassembly-Organisation-Reassembly) process for zeolites has been shown to produce a number of previously unknown frameworks inaccessible through conventional synthesis methods. Here, we present successful mechanochemically assisted hydrolysis of germanosilicate zeolite UTL leading to ADOR products under mild conditions, low amounts of solvent and in short reaction times. The expansion of zeolite synthesis into the realm of mechanochemistry opens up feasible pathways regarding the production of these materials, especially for industrial purposes, as well as an exciting application for economical enrichment of materials with the low natural abundance NMR-active isotope of oxygen, 17O. The results from mechanochemically assisted hydrolysis differ from those seen in the traditional ADOR approach: differences that can be attributed to a change in solvent availability.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The assembly-disassembly-organization-reassembly (ADOR) mechanism is a recent method for preparing inorganic framework materials and, in particular, zeolites. This flexible approach has enabled the synthesis of isoreticular families of zeolites with unprecedented continuous control over porosity, and the design and preparation of materials that would have been difficult-or even impossible-to obtain using traditional hydrothermal techniques. Applying the ADOR process to a parent zeolite with the UTL framework topology, for example, has led to six previously unknown zeolites (named IPC-n, where n = 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10). To realize the full potential of the ADOR method, however, a further understanding of the complex mechanism at play is needed. Here, we probe the disassembly, organization and reassembly steps of the ADOR process through a combination of in situ solid-state NMR spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction experiments. We further use the insight gained to explain the formation of the unusual structure of zeolite IPC-6.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

The assembly-disassembly-organization-reassembly (ADOR) process has been used to disassemble a parent zeolite with the UOV structure type and then reassemble the resulting layers into a novel structure, IPC-12. The structure of the material has previously been predicted computationally and confirmed in our experiments using X-ray diffraction and atomic resolution STEM-HAADF electron microscopy. This is the first successful application of the ADOR process to a material with porous layers.

• Keywords
• ADOR, germanosilicates, isoreticular materials, structure rearrangement, zeolites,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Zeolites are an important class of materials that have wide ranging applications such as heterogeneous catalysts and adsorbents which are dependent on their framework topology. For new applications or improvements to existing ones, new zeolites with novel pore systems are desirable. We demonstrate a method for the synthesis of novel zeolites using the ADOR route. ADOR is an acronym for Assembly, Disassembly, Organization and Reassembly. This synthetic route takes advantage of the assembly of a relatively poorly stable that which can be selectively disassembled into a layered material. The resulting layered intermediate can then be organized in different manners by careful chemical manipulation and then reassembled into zeolites with new topologies. By carefully controlling the organization step of the synthetic pathway, new zeolites with never before seen topologies are capable of being synthesized. The structures of these new zeolites are confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction and further characterized by nitrogen adsorption and scanning electron microscopy. This new synthetic pathway for zeolites demonstrates its capability to produce novel frameworks that have never been prepared by traditional zeolite synthesis techniques.

• MeSH
• Adsorption MeSH
• X-Ray Diffraction MeSH
• Nitrogen chemistry   MeSH
• Catalysis MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic MeSH
• Zeolites chemical synthesis   chemistry   MeSH
• Publication type
• Video-Audio Media MeSH
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Nitrogen MeSH
• Zeolites MeSH

Zeolites are porous aluminosilicate materials that have found applications in many different technologies. However, although simulations suggest that there are millions of possible zeolite topologies, only a little over 200 zeolite frameworks of all compositions are currently known, of which about 50 are pure silica materials. This is known as the zeolite conundrum--why have so few of all the possible structures been made? Several criteria have been formulated to explain why most zeolites are unfeasible synthesis targets. Here we demonstrate the synthesis of two such 'unfeasible' zeolites, IPC-9 and IPC-10, through the assembly-disassembly-organization-reassembly mechanism. These new high-silica zeolites have rare characteristics, such as windows that comprise odd-membered rings. Their synthesis opens up the possibility of preparing other zeolites that have not been accessible by traditional solvothermal synthetic methods. We envisage that these findings may lead to a step change in the number and types of zeolites available for future applications.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Hoveyda-Grubbs type catalysts with cationic tags on NHC ligands were linker-free immobilized on the surface of lamellar zeolitic supports (MCM-22, MCM-56, MCM-36) and on mesoporous molecular sieves SBA-15. The activity of prepared hybrid catalysts was tested in olefin metathesis reactions: the activity in ring-closing metathesis of citronellene and N,N-diallyltrifluoroacetamide decreased in the order of support MCM-22 ≈ MCM-56 > SBA-15 > MCM-36; the hybrid catalyst based on SBA-15 was found the most active in self-metathesis of methyl oleate. All catalysts were reusable and exhibited low Ru leaching (<1% of Ru content). XPS analysis revealed that during immobilization ion exchange between Hoveyda-Grubbs type catalyst and zeolitic support occurred in the case of Cl(-) counter anion; in contrast, PF6 (-) counter anion underwent partial decomposition.

• Keywords
• Hoveyda–Grubbs type catalyst, hybrid catalysts, lamellar zeolites, non-covalent immobilization, olefin metathesis,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH