Elucidating the Germanium Distribution in ITQ-13 Zeolites by Density Functional Theory

ITQ-13 is a medium-pore zeolite that can be prepared in all-silica form and as silicogermanate with Si/Ge ratios as low as 3. Usually synthesised in the presence of fluoride, ITQ-13 is among the very few systems containing fluoride anions in two distinct cage types, cube-like d4r units and [4 ⋅ 5⁶ ] cages. Here, dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to investigate the energetically most favourable Ge distributions for Si/Ge ratios between 55 and 6. The calculations show Ge atoms are incorporated at both the corners of d4r cages and at the basal plane of the [4 ⋅ 5⁶ ] cages, in accordance with ¹⁹ F NMR spectroscopy. Two Ge atoms at adjacent corners of [4 ⋅ 5⁶ ] cages are stable at the highest Ge content considered (Si/Ge=6). Such a local environment has not yet been considered in the experimental literature. A calculation of the corresponding ¹⁹ F NMR resonance points to overlap with other resonances, which might preclude its clear identification. Additional calculations investigate the variation of the dynamic behaviour of the fluoride anions as a function of the local environment as well as the selective defluorination of the [4 ⋅ 5⁶ ] cages.