Characterization of nanosized material extracted from clear suspensions for MFI zeolite synthesis

The silica species contained in an aged clear suspension, which upon heating gives rise to the crystallization of Silicalite-l, were extracted with 80% efficiency using a sequence of acidification, salting out, phase transfer into organic solvent, and freeze-drying methods. This silica powder was characterized by X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and (29)Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance. These techniques gave evidence for the presence of a very specific morphology, corresponding to slab shaped particles, with dimensions of 1.3 x 4.0 x 3.0 nm. The nanoslabs have the MFI structure with nine channel intersections per particle, each containing a TPA cation. The identity of the extracted nanoslabs with the species in suspension is evidenced with in situ and ex situ X-ray scattering.