Effects of dehydration and X-ray irradiation on the structure of MnNa Y zeolite

In hydrated MnNa Y, the MnII ion is present as a fully hydrated complex in the zeolite large cavities while NaI is located in site I′ as an octahedral complex composed of three lattice oxide ions and three H2O molecules located in site II′. Upon dehydration, manganese is found in all of the sites I, I′ and II. The exposure of this dehydrated sample to long periods of Cu X-radiation induces a significant redistribution of the exchangeable cations as well as increasing the amount of an oxygen species found at site II′. The presence of this oxygen necessitates the participation of lattice oxide ions in the formation of extra lattice complexes in the sodalite cage.