Low Concentration Synthesis of Super-Amphiphilic Nanoflake ZSM-5 Film with Adjustable Property.

High silica zeolite ZSM-5/glass film was successfully synthesized by an in-situ sol–gel dip-coating process combined with the steam-assisted conversion (SAC) technique with low concentration of the synthesis solution. The resulting zeolite films grown on the glass slide show amphiphilic properties. The growing process and the effect of the concentration of SiO₂ in the silica source were examined. The mechanism of the formation of the nanoflake crystals and their wetting behavior was investigated. By simply adding fluorescein in the synthesis solution during the preparation, ZSM-5 films showing luminescence property can be obtained. Furthermore, these ZSM-5 zeolite films are easily modified to exhibit hydrophobic property. Super-amphiphilic high silica zeolite ZSM-5 films were prepared on glass slides by an in-situ sol–gel dip-coating process, combined with the SAC technique with low concentration of the synthesis solution. The obtained crystals on the film display nanoflake morphology. The unique shape of nanoflake crystals greatly improved the wettability, which may enable the film with potential application in separation and antifouling areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]