Zeolites and Related Porous Materials: Design, Synthesis, and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

As an introduction to this Special Issue of Molecules, let us briefly summarize the involved research field by defining zeolites as being three-dimensional aluminosilicates (tectosilicates) bearing an ordered array of channels and cavities (up to 50% of the total volume), which show a characteristic spatial arrangement and dimensions for each particular structure type. Zeolites can thus be regarded as being the archetype of periodic porous solids, as opposed to non-periodic porous materials, such as non-structured active carbons, xerogels and aerogels. The periodicity of the pore layout and regular pore size endows zeolites and related porous solids with the potential to act as molecular sieves and size-selective catalysts, and it also facilitates the engineering of a range of molecular superstructures in zeolite-based host–guest composites with applications in nano-photonic devices and chemical sensors (to name only a couple of examples). Aside from aluminosilicates, both natural and synthetic, several other porous materials merit consideration herein; among them, purely siliceous materials such as silicalite and nanoporous MCM-41 silica, as well as several aluminophosphates and silicoaluminophosphates.

The main applications of zeolites and related porous solids span such fields of use as: heterogeneous catalysts in the petrochemical industry; biomass upgrading and the production of fine chemicals; water softening and purification; environmental pollution control; gas separation, purification and storage; agriculture and aquaculture; medicine and biotechnology; as well as nano-photonic and nano-sensor devices. Research reports making a relevant contribution to any of these (or related) fields will be welcome in this Special Issue of Molecules. Also welcome are reports on novel methods of synthesis, which could be needed to optimize particle size, crystallinity or dimensionality for some specialized applications of zeolites.

Prof. Dr. Carlos Otero Arean
Dr. Montserrat Rodriguez Delgado
Guest Editors

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