Differences Between Individual ZSM-5 Crystals in Forming Hollow Single Crystals and Mesopores During Base Leaching

After base treatment of ZSM-5 crystals below 100nm in size, TEM shows hollow single crystals with a 10nm shell. SEM images confirm that the shell is well- preserved even after prolonged treatment. Determination of the Si/Al ratios with AAS and XPS in combination with argon sputtering reveals aluminum zoning of the parent zeolite, and the total pore volume increases in the first two hours of base treatment. In corresponding TEM images, the amount of hollow crystals are observed to increase during the first two hours of base treatment, and intact crystals are visible even after 10h of leaching; these observations indicate different dissolution rates between individual crystals. TEM of large, commercially available ZSM-5 crystals shows inhomogeneous distribution of mesopores among different crystals, which points to the existence of structural differences between individual crystals. Only tetrahedrally coordinated aluminum is detected with Al-27 MAS NMR after the base leaching of nano-sized ZSM-5.