FORMATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ZNS NANOCLUSTERS IN THE PORE CHANNELS OF MORDENITE ZEOLITE

Abstract

Mordenite zeolite was synthesized without organic structure directing agents. We used ion exchangeto create the zinc sulphide nano-clusters inside the zeolite framework. The as-synthesised Na-MORzeolite and exchanged samples Zn-MOR, ZnS-MOR zeolites were characterised by X-ray powderdiffraction XRPD , solid state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance MAS NMR ,energy-dispersive X-ray EDX elemental analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller BET surface areaanalysis, and transmission electron microscopy TEM . PXRD shows that exchange does not affectthe zeolite framework, a a slight increase in the unit cell parameters from Na-MOR to ZnS-MOR isobserved. The successful incorporation of Zn2+into the MOR framework is confirmed by 23Na NMR.EDX, BET, and TEM analyses also provide evidences for the formation of ZnS nano-clusters