Hydroxyl Radical-assisted Synthesis of NaA Zeolite Membranes in an Open System

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-6135-8

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (4): 1301-1309.doi: 10.1007/s40242-026-6135-8

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Hydroxyl Radical-assisted Synthesis of NaA Zeolite Membranes in an Open System

YIN Xin^1,2, LI Shanghua¹, ZONG Siyu¹, ZHOU Yida¹, ZHANG Boyu², GU Qinfen⁴, SHANG Jin², YU Jihong^1,3

1. State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Changbaishan Laboratory, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, P. R. China;
2. School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China;
3. International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, P. R. China;
4. Australian Synchrotron, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia

Received:2026-06-08 Revised:2026-07-02 Online:2026-08-01 Published:2026-07-28
Contact: GU Qinfen,E-mail:qinfeng@ansto.gov.au;SHANG Jin,E-mail:jinshang@cityu.edu.hk;YU Jihong,E-mail:jihong@jlu.edu.cn E-mail:qinfeng@ansto.gov.au;jinshang@cityu.edu.hk;jihong@jlu.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22288101), the Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Changbaishan Laboratory, Jilin Province, China (No. CBS2025002-02), the ‘111 Center’ Project, China (No. B17020), and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, China (Nos. CityU 11317722, 11310223 and 11313125).

Abstract

Abstract: NaA zeolite membranes are widely utilized in the separation field. However, their large-scale application has been constrained by the requirement of bulky, sealed autoclaves, resulting in high synthesis costs. Herein, we developed a hydroxyl radical-assisted hydrothermal strategy to synthesize NaA membranes. This method enables the synthesis of highly crystalline and continuous NaA membranes within only 8 h at 45 ℃ in an open system. Notably, we scaled up the synthesis to achieve uniform crystallization on a 10 cm×6 cm substrate, overcoming the scalability limitations inherent to traditional autoclave-based synthesis. The versatility of this approach is further demonstrated by its applicability to diverse substrates, including metal oxides, glass, and polymers. Through a combination of ex-situ characterization techniques [X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)] and spectroscopic analysis [electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), fluorescence], we confirm the critical role of hydroxyl radicals in accelerating membrane formation. Furthermore, the broad applicability of this method is validated by the successful synthesis of high-quality FAU zeolite membranes. This work establishes a new paradigm for zeolite membrane synthesis, paving the way for their industrial-scale production and broader practical applications.

Key words: NaA zeolite membrane, Hydroxyl radical, Open system, Large-scale production

YIN Xin, LI Shanghua, ZONG Siyu, ZHOU Yida, ZHANG Boyu, GU Qinfen, SHANG Jin, YU Jihong. Hydroxyl Radical-assisted Synthesis of NaA Zeolite Membranes in an Open System[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(4): 1301-1309.

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Hydroxyl Radical-assisted Synthesis of NaA Zeolite Membranes in an Open System

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