Surfactant-modified MFI nanosheets: a high capacity anion-exchanger.

Surfactant-Modified MFI-Zeolite Nanosheets (SMZN) were used for the first time as anion-exchangers, in the case of nitrate ion removal. The SMZN material is characterized by high anionic exchange capacity and removal efficiency compared to classical SMZ prepared from clinoptilolite. The SMZN material is easily regenerated and could be probably employed to remove other anionic pollutants.

A zeolitic material with a three-dimensional pore system formed by straight 12- and 10-ring channels synthesized with an imidazolium derivative as structure-directing agent.

IM-20 is a novel microporous germanosilicate with an interesting zeolitic structure. It has been prepared via the fluoride route with 3-butyl-1-methyl-3H-imidazol-1-ium as the organic structure-directing agent and its structure solved from synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data. The chemical formula per unit cell is Si(42.2)Ge(17.8)O(120) under its calcined form. IM-20 possesses a new framework topology, the 3D channel system being formed by straight intersecting 12- and 10-membered rings. Two types of d4r composite building units are present in IM-20, their average Si/Ge molar ratio being about 8.52 or 0.56. Surprisingly, the pure silica or silica-rich units are fluoride-free in the as-synthesized material.