ESRF BM01 - Investigating Early Zeolite Nucleation Stages in Hydrated Silicate Ionic Liquids Using In Situ SAXS, WAXS, and Impedance Spectroscopy

Zeolite nucleation remains poorly understood due to the complexity of synthesis media and the difficulty of detecting stable nuclei at the angstrom scale. Our group has developed hydrated silicate ionic liquids (HSILs) as a homogeneous synthesis medium, alongside a setup that enables combined in situ SAXS, WAXS and impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements. Preliminary data suggest that synthesis temperature and cation type affect induction stages, likely through the dissolution of aluminate-rich clusters. SAXS and WAXS are critical for clarifying these trends and shedding light on structural evolution. The results are expected to improve the interpretation of conductivity data and enhance our understanding of zeolite nucleation.