Analytica Electron Microscopy for Beam Sensitive Zeolites and Beyond

Zoom Webinar with K. Andre Mkhoyan Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Abstract

Zeolite MFI is a widely used catalyst and adsorbent that also holds promise as a thin-film membrane. In particular, 2D MFI nanosheets opened new horizons for membrane science and engineering. However, due to extreme sensitivity of these zeolites to electron beams, the crystal structure of 2D-MFI nanosheets and their relationship to separation performance remain elusive. Using advanced analytical transmission electron microscopy, which allowed direct imaging of the zeolite crystal structure, we find that a few-unit-cell-wide intergrowths of zeolite MEL exist within 2D-MFI nanosheets. Dramatic effects of MEL intergrowths on MFI nanosheets molecular separation performance will also be discussed. The latest advancements in ultra-high-resolution analytical scanning TEM will covered as well.

  Biography Dr. Mkhoyan is Ray D. and Mary T. Johnson Chair Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He graduated from Yerevan State University with B.S. in Physics in 1996. From 1998 to 1999 he worked as a researcher at Bell Labs of Lucent Technologies in Murray Hill, NJ. He then received Ph.D. in 2004 at Cornell University in Applied Physics. From 2004 to 2008 he was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Cornell and Visiting Scientist at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. He joined University of Minnesota in 2008 as Assistant Professor.   For Zoom information please contact dei-info@udel.edu