Pushing frontiers in Materials Science: Revolutionary breakthrough in zeolites for processing large molecules
Zeolites, highly structured porous materials, play a key role in a variety of industrial applications, from energy to the environment, as well as in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. A significant milestone in this field has been reached by CSIC scientists, in collaboration with other institutions, who have achieved a breakthrough in the synthesis of zeolites, opening up new perspectives for the processing of larger molecules.
The research, detailed in the article “Interchain Expanded Extra-Large Pore Zeolites”, published in the leading journal Nature and led by Prof. Miguel Camblor (CSIC), presents a novel synthesis strategy that allows obtaining a material with exceptionally large pore sizes.
Dr Álvaro Mayoral, CSIC scientist at the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón, INMA, a joint institute of CSIC and the University of Zaragoza, led the structural analysis using electron microscopy (TEM), a technique that provides a detailed view at the atomic scale, confirming the successful formation of the new material and bringing clarity to the formation mechanism.
This discovery has important implications for catalysis, as it allows the reaction of larger molecules within the pores of the newly obtained zeolite. It offers promising prospects for the sustainable production of propylene oxide, used in the manufacture of polymers, as a fuel, fuel additive, solvent and even in the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the results published in Nature can be extended to other reactions that require the processing of larger molecules.
This breakthrough not only advances the field of zeolites, but also opens up new possibilities in the development of advanced materials with practical and sustainable applications.
Article:
For more details, see the full article “Interchain Expanded Extra-Large Pore Zeolites”, available in the journal Nature. DOI:
