TEM investigation of formation of monocrystal-thick b-oriented pure silica zeolite MFI film

The first direct transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation is carried out on the continuous monocrystal-thick b-oriented pure silica zeolite MFI films produced by in situ crystallization. This TEM investigation provides direct unambiguous new evidence to support the homogeneous nucleation mechanism by which the films form through homogeneous nucleation and crystal growth in the bulk to form equal-sized disk-shape crystals followed by self-assembly of these crystals onto the substrate to produce a two-dimensional close-packed structure.