Cut-and-paste zeolites: new, faster method for developing custom microporous materials

Zeolites are best known for their ubiquitous use as water softeners in detergents and as environmentally friendly catalysts in industry. A catalyst is a mediator that increases the efficiency of chemical reactions, saving huge amounts of energy.

Naturally occurring zeolites are often unsuitable for industrial applications because their pores are small. Around 200 different synthetic zeolites currently exist, of which only 20 are actually used in industry. The desired properties of the zeolite - its composition, pore size, re-usability and so on - change with each new application. Until now, developing synthetic zeolites was very complex and often a matter of trial and error - and designing a zeolite with predetermined characteristics was impossible.

Now, researchers at KU Leuven, Ghent University and the University of Antwerp have discovered a way to make new zeolites quickly. They have experimentally demonstrated that it is possible to cut zeolite building blocks and rearrange them into a new structure.

Professor Christine Kirschhock of KU Leuven explains: “A zeolite can be thought of as a set of merged building blocks. We are now able to separate certain blocks of a zeolite and then reassemble them into different configurations, depending on the desired properties.”

Apart from being faster than existing methods, this generic method for creating new zeolites has other significant advantages. Professor Kirschhock explained, “In addition to new possibilities for applications, the method contributes to the development of a more sustainable, greener chemical industry. It is the first-ever example of customisable zeolite design.”

The findings were recently published online in the journal Nature Materials.