Effect of mother liquor addition on (P)MCM-22 synthesis

Abstract Although there are a significant number of reports on zeolite synthesis, their nucleation and growth mechanisms are still under discussion. Therefore, in this work, we present an in-depth study of the effect of mother liquor addition on the synthesis of the zeolitic lamellar precursor (P)MCM-22. We analyzed several ex situ samples obtained in the presence and absence of mother liquor by X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, microscopy, thermogravimetry and nitrogen adsorption/desorption. We found that the spherical amorphous nanoparticles in the mother liquor were responsible for accelerating the reaction. In addition, the first crystalline sample obtained in the presence of mother liquor exhibited a high total pore volume. These new data not only helped elucidate the mechanism but also contributed to the synthesis of a material with attractive properties.