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An organic cation lacking specificity in its structure-directing action offers the possibility, through the screening of other structure-directing parameters, to synthesize a variety of zeolites. In this work we show that the organic structure-directing agent 2-isopropyl-1,3-dimethylimidazolium (2iPr13DMI) can produce up to seven different zeolite phases depending on water concentration, the presence of inorganic impurities, crystallization temperature and time, and germanium molar fraction. The obtained phases are very different in terms of pore system, connectivity of the zeolite structure and structural units. At the pure SiO2 side, ZSM-12 and SSZ-35 dominate, with ZSM-12 being favored by the presence of potassium impurities and by less concentrated conditions. The introduction of Ge at low levels favors SSZ-35 over ZSM-12 and as the Ge fraction increases it successively affords CSV, -CLO and two distinct UOS zeolites, HPM-11 and HPM-6. These two zeolites have the same topology but distinct chemical compositions and display powder X-ray diffraction patterns that are much different from each other and from that of as-synthesized IM-16 (UOS reference material). They also show different symmetry at 96 K. Rietveld refinements of the three as-made UOS materials mentioned are provided. HPM-6 and HPM-11 are produced in distinct, non-adjacent crystallization fields. The frequent cocrystallization of the chiral STW zeolite, however, did not afford its synthesis as a pure phase. Molecular mechanics simulations of the location of the organic cation and host–guest interactions fail to explain the observed trends, but also considering the intrinsic stability of the zeolites and the effect of germanium help to rationalize the results. The study is completed by DFT calculations of the NMR chemical shifts of 13C in UOS (helping to understand splittings in the spectrum) and 19F in CSV (supporting the location of fluoride inside the new [4452], which is an incomplete double 4-ring). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HPM-7, a germanosilicate synthesized using long imidazolium-based dications with two different linkers, is shown to possess the POS topology, although disorder may exist but it is very difficult to discern. First, three simple ordered polymorphs (POS-A to POS-C) with very similar energies and structural motifs could give rise to intergrowths that would be very difficult to recognize by powder X-ray diffraction, according to DIFFaX simulations. Another four structures (POS-D to POS-G) can be derived from POS by changing the orientation of two single four rings within the structure, possibly providing an additional source of disorder. While 3D EDT strongly suggests that HPM-7 basically possesses the POS-A (i.e. POS) topology, a detailed HR-STEM study demonstrates the rare existence of some disorder compatible with the polymorph POS-D. The general avoidance of polymorphs with very similar structural motifs and comparable energies points to a rather specific structure-direction by the organic dications used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short imidazolium based dication, with only three methylene units in the spacer linker, selectively directs the crystallization of zeolite HPM-12 (*UOE) as long as there is enough germanium present in the synthesis gel. The integrity of the dication is proved by dissolution of the zeolite and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, where significant effects of organic dication concentration and the presence and concentration of HF need to be taken into account. For the as-made HPM-12 zeolite, a large shift of 9 ppm of one resonance in the 13C MAS NMR spectrum is due to the particular conformation of the dication imposed by confinement in the zeolite framework, as found by DFT calculations. The structure-directing ability of this kind of dication with varying length of the linker suggests that matching of the distance between positive charges (imidazolium moieties) and negative charges (double four rings in which fluoride resides) plays a crucial role during crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Length-dependent structure direction of linear methylimidazolium-based dications towards MFI zeolite, previously known only for the tetramethylene spacer, has also been found for octamethylene and decamethylene spacers. This works only under highly concentrated conditions, whereas dilution always tends to favor TON, a default structure that is the only zeolite obtained with the other reported dications (with tri-, penta-, and hexamethylene spacers). The locations and conformations of the dications have been studied by molecular mechanics simulations. As longer dications introduce lower density of positive charges in the zeolite, the density of connectivity defects also decreases. Finally, these long dications cannot easily place each charged imidazolium ring in the two possible orientations (either parallel or perpendicular to 4MR close to F− sites) found for the tetramethylene case. Hence, although the three MFI materials display two 19F NMR resonances at similar chemical shifts, their relative intensities strongly vary as a function of the spacer length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of microporous aluminophosphates using 1,2,3-trimethylimidazolium (123TMI) and fluoride produces three phases (HPM-3, PST-27 and triclinic AlPO4-34) depending on the amount of water and organic structure-directing agents in the synthesis mixture. Fluoride occluded in double 4-ring units was not detected by 19F MAS NMR spectroscopy in any product. While the structure of HPM-3 remains unknown, PST-27 has been determined to be a monoclinic version of AlPO4-5 with a distorted and likely complex structure. Rietveld analysis using synchrotron diffraction data for as-made triclinic AlPO4-34 reveals that each of its cha-cages holds two 123TMI cations, forming a displaced anti-parallel dimer with a short distance between aromatic rings (3.78 Å from center to center, 3.63 Å from plane to plane). This suggests that π–π interactions may play a role in the synthesis of this phase and related CHA-type systems. A study of the optical properties of PST-27, AlPO4-34 and other materials containing 123TMI cations shows their complex fluorescence behavior, sometimes displaying a red-edge effect, i.e., a red shift of the fluorescence as the excitation wavelength is shifted toward the red edge of the absorption band. An absorption band at 291 nm appears only in the dimer-containing triclinic AlPO4-34 and is sensitive to the introduction of Si into the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-Ethyl-1,3,4-trimethylimidazolium is so far the fifth and largest imidazolium cation able to produce the pure silica zeolite ITW. The crystallization is not direct, but occurs as an in situ transformation from either the chiral HPM-1 (STW) zeolite or the new layered zeolite precursor HPM-2 (preMTF) and results in large interpenetrated crystals with a habit so far unseen in this zeolite. The results of chemical, physicochemical and structural characterization allow us to discuss structure-direction issues. The large cation is occluded intact in the zeolite, causing an expansion of the zeolite volume. The degree of polarization of the Si-O bond is similar to that observed in other as-made ITW zeolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]