High-temperature NMR study of zeolite Na-A: detection of a phase transition

The zeolite Linde 4A is studied by {sup 23}Na, {sup 27}al, and {sup 29}Si NMR at temperatures up to 953 K. {sup 23}Na NMR shows that the quadrupole interaction of sodium ions sited at 6-rings decreases when the temperature increases. With the aid of two-dimensional nutation and exchange experiments it can be shown that large-amplitude motions of the sodium ions, which in principle could explain a decrease of quadrupole interactions, do not occur. The decrease of the quadrupole interaction can be interpreted in terms of a phase transition. From a comparison of the NMR spectra of {sup 23}Na and {sup 27}Al it is concluded that the zeolite framework undergoes a major structural change upon increasing the temperature, before the sodium ions are displaced at higher temperatures. The exchange of sodium ions for potassium ions shifts this transition to higher temperatures.