Heteroepitaxial growth of a zeolite film with a patterned surface-texture.

We focus on the eteroepitaxial growth of trigonal chabazite with voids of three-dimensional intersection structures. The differences in the structures originate from the stacking sequences of the six-membered rings. Sodalite along 111 is constructed by an "abcabc" stacking sequence, while chabazite along [111] is constructed by "abab". Therefore, chabazite can grow heteroepitaxially on a sodalite substrate while keeping the relation of chabazite (111)//sodalite {111}. In this Communication, we report on the first success of the heteroepitaxial growth of a continuous zeolite (chabazite) film with a unique patterned surface-texture on a millimeter-sized sodalite single crystal. We have found that the unique texture of chabazite films is rationalized by the heteroepitaxial growth of chabazite on sodalite and the subsequent twin formation of chabazite.