X-ray excited optical fluorescence and diffraction imaging of reactivity and crystallinity in a zeolite crystal : crystallography and molecular spectroscopy in one

Z. Ristanovic, J.P. Hofmann, M.-I. Richard, T. Jiang, G.A. Chahine, T.U. Schülli, F. Meirer, B.M. Weckhuysen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

Structure–activity relationships in heterogeneous catalysis are challenging to be measured on a single-particle level. For the first time, one X-ray beam is used to determine the crystallographic structure and reactivity of a single zeolite crystal. The method generates μm-resolved X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD) and X-ray excited optical fluorescence (μ-XEOF) maps of the crystallinity and Brønsted reactivity of a zeolite crystal previously reacted with a styrene probe molecule. The local gradients in chemical reactivity (derived from μ-XEOF) were correlated with local crystallinity and framework Al content, determined by μ-XRD. Two distinctly different types of fluorescent species formed selectively, depending on the local zeolite crystallinity. The results illustrate the potential of this approach to resolve the crystallographic structure of a porous material and its reactivity in one experiment via X-ray induced fluorescence of organic molecules formed at the reactive centers.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7496–7500
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume55
Issue number26
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

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