Synthesis of an extra-large molecular sieve using proton sponges as organic structure-directing agents

The synthesis of crystalline microporous materials containing large pores is in high demand by industry, especially for the use of these materials as catalysts in chemical processes involving bulky molecules. An extra-large–pore silicoaluminophosphate with 16-ring openings, ITQ-51, has been synthesized by the use of bulky aromatic proton sponges as organic structure-directing agents. Proton sponges show exceptional properties for directing extra-large zeolites because of their unusually high basicity combined with their large size and rigidity. This extra-large–pore material is stable after calcination, being one of the very few examples of hydrothermally stable molecular sieves containing extra-large pores. The structure of ITQ-51 was solved from submicrometer-sized crystals using the rotation electron diffraction method. Finally, several hypothetical zeolites related to ITQ-51 have been proposed.