"Extracting" the key fragment in ETS-10 crystallization and its application in AM-6 assembly

The mechanism of crystallization of microporous titanosilicate ETS-10 was investigated by Raman spectroscopy combined with 29Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy, DFT calculations, and SEM imaging. The formation of three-membered ring species is shown to be the key step in the hydrothermal synthesis of ETS-10. They are formed by means of a complex process that involves the interaction of silicate species in the reaction mixture, which promotes the dissolution of TiO2 particles. These insights into the mechanism of ETS-10 growth led to the successful development of a new synthesis route to the vanadosilicate AM-6 that involves the use of intermediates that contain three-membered ring species as an initiator.