Surface patterned porous films by convection-assisted dynamic self-assembly of zeolite nanoparticles

This study demonstrates for the first time that porous zeolite films with surface patterns such as knotted-rope web and wrinkled honeycomb can be obtained by convection-assisted dynamic self-assembly of zeolite nanoparticles. The study also shows that an appropriate dispersant and the presence of zeolite nanoparticles with a specific range of particle sizes in the colloidal suspension are critical for pattern formation. The patterned zeolite films have a well-defined bimodal pore size distribution (i.e., 0.55 and 2.6 nm) with a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 680-750 m(2)/g and are attractive for potential applications in fields such as thin film catalysis, adsorption separation, chemical sensor arrays, and components in microelectronic devices.