Mentor
Dr. Sarah Larsen
Participation year
2009
Project title

Stability of Nanocrystalline NaY Zeiolite in Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

Scientific awareness of how zeolites, a very distinctive type of microporous aluminosilicates, undergo dissolution in aqueous solutions with various PHs is limited. Zeolites are three-dimensional, crystalline compounds which are built from AlO4 and SiO4 tetrahedra. A defining feature of zeolites is that their frameworks are made up of 4-connected networks of atoms. Understanding the dissolution of zeolites is fundamental to a number of processes occurring in medicine and throughout industry. To better understand the dissolution process, previous experiments were carried out establishing that the Si-to-Al ratio controls zeolite framework dissolution, by which the selective removal of aluminum constrains the removal of silicon. Stoichiometric dissolution is observed for NaY zeolite in HCl where the Si-to-Al ratio is equal to 0.1. Framework silicon dissolves completely during HCL NaY. In type NaY zeolites, exhibiting a Si-to-Al ratio of 2:1, there is insufficient aluminum to weaken the structure and cause silicon to dissolve in HCl. However, current research with zeolite dissolution involves nanoparticles. Zeolite stability of nanoparticle NaY was experienced at different PHs and various temperature conditions. Consequently, the NaY zeolite dissolution method has no general implications on how drug delivery can be dissolved in body.

Jasmine  Freeman
Education
Fort Valley State University