Synthesis and Structure Determination by 3D Electron Diffraction of the Extra‐large Pore Zeolite ITQ‐70
Juan I. Tirado, Andrés Sala, Antonio Bordes, Partha Pratim Das, Lukáš Palatinus, Stavros Nicolopoulos, José Luis Jordá Moret, Alejandro Vidal‐Moya, Teresa Blasco, Germán Sastre, Susana Valencia, Fernando Rey
Abstract
Abstract In this study, we present the synthesis, characterization, and structural analysis of a novel zeolite, ITQ‐70, using 3D electron diffraction. This unique material was synthesized under alkaline conditions, employing tetrakis(diethylamino)phosphonium as an organic structure‐directing agent, leading to the formation of a pure silica zeolite. ITQ‐70 is distinguished by its extra‐large pore apertures, which extend along all three axes and intersect one to the other. A notable feature of this zeolite is the presence of structurally ordered defects in very high concentrations (38 % of the silicon atoms). As a result, ITQ‐70 exhibits the lowest framework density (10.0 T/1000 Å 3 ) ever reported for any zeolite except RWY (7.6 T/1000 Å 3 ), which contains sulfur instead of oxygen connecting T‐atoms.