Electron Microscopy Reveals the Nucleation Mechanism of Zeolite Y from Precursor Colloids.

The growth of nanoscale crystals of zeolite Y from colloidal aluminosilicate gel particles has been investigated with high-resolution electron microscopy. Each amorphous gel particle nucleates only a single zeolite crystal, with nucleation beginning at the gel-solution interface (see scheme). Further growth of these nanocrystals is possible through the solution-mediated transport of framework building blocks.