Inorganic-organic composite nanoengineered films using self-assembled monolayers for directed zeolite film growth

This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Zeolites, or molecular sieves, are aluminosilicate cage structures that are typically grown from a heterogeneous mixture of organic template molecules, inorganic salts of alumina and silica, and water. These zeolites are used in industry for catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons (gasoline manufacture from oil), and contaminant removal from chemical production processes. Within one year, we developed a viable method for the deposition of a quaternary ammonium salt amphiphile onto silicon wafer substrates. Using a biomimetic growth process, we were also able to demonstrate the first thin-film formation of a zeolite structure from such an organic template. Additionally, we synthesized the precursor to another amphiphile which was to be for further studies