Aberration-corrected STEM analysis of a cubic Cd array encapsulated in zeolite A

In the current work, we present the analysis of Cd clusters encapsulated in zeolite A (LTA structure type) by means of aberration-corrected STEM. By a detailed analysis of the main crystallographic orientations, two different Cd species have been identified in the six-rings of the sodalite cage. This method of imaging is strongly sensitive to the atomic number Z, which has allowed us to observe at atomic level the distribution of the cadmium within the zeolite. Moreover, the stability of the compound formed has been tested with respect to the open atmosphere.