A high temperature in situ laser light-scattering study of the initial stage in the crystallization of TPA-silicalite-1

Abstract

The events occurring in a clear TPA-silicalite-1 precursor solution, hydrothermally treated at 70°C, were monitored in situ by dynamic light scattering using a high-effect laser light source. Subcolloidal silicate particles with an average diameter of 3.3 nm are detected in the greater part of the crystallization. An initial decrease in the scattered light intensity upon hydrothermal treatment indicates a reduction in the particle number concentration at the expense of an increase in the particle size. This is interpreted as being due to an Ostwald ripening mechanism. A second discrete particle population (which coexists with the subcolloidal particles) is detected after ca. 9.5 h of hydrothermal treatment, at which time the average particle size is ca. 12 nm. The two particle populations (subcolloidal particles and the growing crystals) present in suspension before sampling at 9.5 h cannot be distinguished due to the resolution limitations inherent in the light-scattering technique. Deconvolution of intensity data collected during the time interval, corresponding to particle sizes of ca. 3 to 10 nm, indicates that the large-sized particles (crystalline silicalite-1) have as their origin subcolloidal particles initially present in solution before hydrothermal treatment. There are indications therefore that certain subcolloidal particles may possess a short-range structure such that they increase in size upon hydrothermal treatment and may thus be termed zeolitic nuclei. The initial growth of the growing crystals may be described as being a non-linear function of time until an average particle size of ca. 20 nm is attained, after which linear growth at a rate of 0.72 nm/h was recorded.