Title:
Nanosized Zeolites with Exceptional Adsorption Properties Abstract:
The transition of the global energy system from traditional fossil fuels to renewable and sustainable energy sources and processes necessitates the development of new materials and the reinvention of existing ones. Zeolites will play a key role in facilitating this transition due to their exceptional qualities, which make them valuable in essential catalytic and adsorption processes, such as carbon capture and storage. The zeolites used in these processes consist of micrometer-scale particles. Consequently, small molecules must diffuse a distance approximately tens of thousands of times their own size through the particles. This results in a relatively large mass transfer zone within a fixed bed configuration, limiting the usable capacity in separation processes. Nanozeolites offer several key advantages over their conventional micron-sized counterparts, such as high surface-to-volume ratios that provide greater access to more active sites, rapid diffusion properties, and rich chemistry. Furthermore, the direct synthesis using inorganic structure-directing agents ensures the formation of nanozeolites with uniform elemental composition and desirable adsorption properties, eliminating the need for post-synthetic calcination treatment. In this presentation, I will discuss the synthesis of nanosized zeolites with various sizes, morphologies, and framework structures by tailoring the crystallization process. The diffusion properties of the nanosized zeolites were studied through breakthrough curve analysis, revealing exceptionally sharp curves indicative of rapid diffusion due to the nanosized crystals and desired morphology. The unique adsorption properties of nanozeolites make them interesting candidates for gas separation applications in humid streams. Acknowledgments:
This research was co-funded by the European Union (ERC, ZEOLIghT, 101054004). The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The author acknowledges the Label of Excellence: Centre for Zeolites and Nanoporous Materials supported by the Region of Normandy (CLEAR). Bio:
Svetlana Mintova is the Director of Research (DR1) at CNRS, LCS-ENSICAEN-Normandy University and Head of the Centre for Zeolites and Nanoporous Materials. The focus of her research is in the fields of porous materials and physical chemistry with expertise in the synthesis of zeolites, advanced characterizations and their applications in catalysis, separation, chemical sensors, membranes and biomedicine.
She is also Visiting Professor in China University of Petroleum (UPC), President of the International Zeolite Association (IZA), President of the European Zeolite Associations Federation (FEZA), and Chair of the “Synthesis Commission”. She is the Associate Editor of Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers (RSC) and Editor of Microporous Mesoporous Materials (Elsevier) and receiver of the ERC Advanced Grant 2022. | 
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