The formation of zeolites from solution - Analysis by mass spectrometry

Abstract Speciation of silicate in solution has been studied for a long time, but due to the complexity of such solutions, many questions are still open. A correlated problem, the mechanism of zeolite nucleation, remains one of the most challenging problems in zeolitic science. This is partly attributed to analytical limitations, which prevents the analysis of the crucial species involved in the process. Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has been successfully employed to monitor silicate speciation in prenucleating and nucleation zeolitic solutions. In this review, we present the application of mass spectrometry in studying zeolite formation. Discussion will include instrumentation, structural analysis by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), dynamics of silicate species, heteroelement incorporation, and the study of nucleating solutions.