Zeolite Thin Films Prepared From Exfoliated MFI and MWW Nanosheets On Non-Porous Substrates

We report on the synthesis of MFI- and MWW-type zeolite thin films prepared on non-porous substrates.  Plate-like nanosheets were used as hierarchical building blocks for these films and were isolated from lamellar precursor materials by recently developed exfoliation methods.  Film morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to evaluate the zeolite structure.  The use of lamellar nanosheets may create unique film properties and open new opportunities for thin film fabrication.  These films are potentially useful in low-dielectric constant (low-k) applications for computer microprocessors.