Layered silicate formation during chiral acid templated ZSM-5 synthesis

Abstract Silicate anion forms four, five and six coordinate complexes with chiral polyhydroxy alcohol and polyhydroxy acids in aqueous alkali media. The chemistry of organosilicate complexes is well established but its effect on zeolite synthesis has not been explored. When chiral acid is used as a template in ZSM-5 synthesis, a new partially crystalline layered silicate is formed whose basal spacing value do not match with any of the known layered silicates. Chiral acids are necessary to induce layered silicate formation and it is not formed in absence of any template or tetrapropylammonium bromide (TPABr) as a template. In presence of chiral acid, layered silicates are not precursors to ZSM-5 formation as observed normally in ZSM-5 synthesis. This method is new and it paves the way for generating layered silicates using simple chiral acids as a template.