Fractal MTW Zeolite Crystals: Hidden Dimensions in Nanoporous Materials

Screw dislocation structures in crystals are an origin of symmetry breaking in a wide range of dense-phase crystals. Preparation of such analogous structures in framework-phase crystals is of great importance in zeolites but is still a challenge. On the basis of crystal-structure solving and model building, it was found that the two specific intergrowths in MTW zeolite produce this complex fractal and spiral structure. With the structurally determined parameters (spiral pitch h, screw angle θ, and spatial angle ψ) of Burgers circuit, the screw dislocation structure can be constructed by two different dimensional intergrowth sections. Thus the reported complexity of various dimensions in diverse crystals can be unified.