Zeolite films and membranes. Emerging applications

Zeolite films can be grown, either as individual crystals or as intergrown layers on a wide variety of supports including metal surfaces, ceramic and polymeric plates, metallic wires, organic and inorganic fibers and even surfaces with especial characteristics, such as electronic circuits or medical prostheses. These zeolite films constitute a special type of nanostructured interface capable of very specific interactions with individual molecules. Because of this, in many cases it is possible to implement molecular recognition functions, in addition to exploiting other well known zeolite properties such as their catalytic, adsorption and diffusion/permeation characteristics. This overview discusses some of the emerging possibilities of zeolite films, with an emphasis on applications at the microscale. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.