SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CLOVERITE - A NOVEL GALLOPHOSPHATE MOLECULAR-SIEVE WITH 3-DIMENSIONAL 20-MEMBERED RING CHANNELS

Cloverite, a novel cubic microporous gallophosphate, with three-dimensional channels circumscribed by 20-membered rings in the shape of a four-leafed clover, was synthesized in the presence of fluoride ions and quinuclidine. It is stable to at least 500-degrees-C in a dry atmosphere and shows high adsorption capacity for n-hexane, xylene, and mesitylene. By C-13 n.m.r., it was found that quinuclidine is protonated, thus compensating the negative charge of fluoride located in the double four-rings. The P-31 and Ga-71 MAS n.m.r. results are in agreement with the crystal structure analysis.