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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Nanostructured Ag-zeolite Composites as Luminescence-based Humidity Sensors
Published on: November 15, 2016
The Yellow Color of Silver-Containing Zeolite A
Roland Seifert1, Andreas Kunzmann1, Gion Calzaferri1
1Department for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Berne (Switzerland), Fax: (+41) 31-6313994.
Abstract:
Not the Ag clusters, but rather the O atoms are responsible for the yellow color of silver-containing zeolite A. The reason for this has remained unclear since 1962. It is now shown that a charge-transfer transition from the lattice oxygen atoms to the empty 5s orbital of the silver ions (shown schematically on the right) is responsible for the yellow coloring.
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