Chinese scientists in pollution-busting 1-in-80 year breakthrough

The researchers say they have developed the most stable, effective microporous silicate yet, with implications for industrial emissions

The key to ZEO-3 stability is its 3-dimensional structure of large pores, which has eluded this field of research for eight decades

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Researchers from China and Spain say they have developed a more efficient way to remove the compounds that form particulate air pollution from industrial processes. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:00am, 14 Feb 2023Updated: 5:52pm, 14 Feb 2023

Scientists from China and Spain say they have made a rare breakthrough in the hunt for a more affordable and effective way to reduce harmful industrial emissions, using the microporous silicates called zeolites that are at the heart of catalytic converters and other processes to remove contaminants.

The researchers, from the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM) and Jilin University’s State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, said they have developed the most porous and stable zeolite so far, called ZEO-3.

The low-cost material’s performance in removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – precursors of the most harmful small particles in the environment – was “excellent” compared to other zeolites and metal-organic frameworks, they said.

Li Jian, lead author of the paper published in January by the peer-reviewed journal Science, said the team had achieved something that had eluded scientists in the field of zeolites, which are used in oil refining and fuel cells, as well as biomedicine.

“In the more than 80-year history of human synthesised zeolites, a three-dimensionally stable, ultra-large-porous silicate zeolite has always been the goal of all researchers in this field,” Li said, in a statement from Jilin University.

“This topic remains a great challenge, with few breakthroughs in the past few decades.”

A diagram showing ZEO-3’s porous structure. Photo: Li Jian

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