Abstract
THE most widely used catalyst in petroleum cracking and reforming processes is the synthetic zeolite Y. Its unique properties arise from the fact that the enormous inner surface area created by the three-dimensional channel system is accessible to sorbed molecules through 12-ring pore openings. These windows, with free diameters of 7-8Å, allow both aliphatic and small aromatic molecules to enter the zeolite. Attempts to synthesize zeolitic structures with even wider pores, to accommodate larger molecules, have produced two aluminophosphates with one-dimensional channels: VPI-5 (ref. 1), which has 18-ring channels with free diameters of 12-13Å, and AlPO48 (refs 2, 3), with oval 14-ring channels. We now report the structure of a new cubic gallophosphate with a pore opening comprising 20 tetrahedrally coordinated atoms in the shape of a four-leafed clover (Fig. 1) and a three-dimensional channel system. The unusual shape of the window is due to the presence of terminal hydroxyl groups in the framework, and provides new possibilities for shape-selective sorption. The supercage formed aHhe intersection of the channels has a body diagonal of 29-30 Å, and could thus accommodate larger intermediates in zeolite catalytic processes.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Davis, M. E., Saldarriaga, C., Montes, C., Garces, J. & Crowder, C. Nature 331, 698–699 (1988).
Dessau, R. M., Schlenker, J. L. & Higgins, J. B. Zeolites 10, 522–524 (1990).
Richardson, J. W. Jr & Vogt, E. T. C. Zeolites (in the press).
Wilson, S. T., Lok, B. M., Messina, C. A., Cannon, T. R. & Flanigen, E. M. J. Am. chem. Soc. 104, 1146–1147 (1982).
Harvey, G. & Meier, W. M. Studies Surf. Sci. Catal. A49, 411–420 (1989).
Gier, T. E. & Stucky, G. D. Nature 349, 508–510 (1991).
Parise, J. B., JCS Chem. Commun. 606–607 (1985).
Guangdi, Y., Shouhua, F. & Ruren, X. JCS Chem. Commun. 1254–1255 (1987).
Kessler, H. Studies Surf. Sci. Catal. 52, 17–37 (1989).
Merrouche, A., Patarin, J., Kessler, H. & Anglerot, D. French Patent Applic. No. 91-01106 (January 1991).
Joly, J. F., Merrouche, A., Kessler, H. & Guth, J. L. French Patent Applic. No. 91-03378 (March 1991).
Cernik, R. J., Murray, P. K., Pattison, P. & Fitch, A. N. J. appl. Cryst. 23, 292–296 (1990).
SHELXTL-Plus™ version 4.0 (Siemens Analytical Instruments, Inc., 1990).
Baerlocher, C., Hepp, A. & Meier, W. M. Distance Least Squares Refinement Program DLS-76 (Institut für Kristallographie and Petrographie, ETH, Zurich, 1977).
Hall, S. R. & Stewart, J. M. (eds) XTAL 2.6 User's Manual (Universities of Western Australia and Maryland, 1989).
Meier, W. M. & Olson, D. H. Atlas of Zeolite Structure Types (Butterworths, London, 1987).
Richardson, J. W. Jr, Pluth, J. J. & Smith, J. V. Naturwissenschaften 76, 467–469 (1989).
Caullet, P., Guth, J. L., Hazm, J., Lamblin, J. M. & Gies, H. Eur. J. Solid St. inorg. Chem. 28, 345–361 (1991).
Brunner, G. O. & Meier, W. M. Nature 337, 146–147 (1989).
Parton, R. F., Uytterhoeven, L. & Jacobs, P. A. Studies Surf. Sci. Catal. 59, 395–403 (1991).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Estermann, M., McCusker, L., Baerlocher, C. et al. A synthetic gallophosphate molecular sieve with a 20-tetrahedral-atom pore opening. Nature 352, 320–323 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/352320a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/352320a0
This article is cited by
-
Ionothermal synthesis, physicochemical characterization and catalytic performance of extra-large-pore silicoaluminophosphate zeotype with -CLO structure
Journal of Porous Materials (2021)
-
Design and synthesis of polyoxometalate-framework materials from cluster precursors
Nature Reviews Materials (2017)
-
Elucidating Zeolite Deactivation Mechanisms During Biomass Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis from Model Reactions and Zeolite Syntheses
Topics in Catalysis (2016)
-
A new non-centrosymmetric microporous fluorinated iron phosphate: Structural elucidation, spectroscopic study and Hirshfeld surface analysis
Chemical Research in Chinese Universities (2016)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.