Structure-directing
agents (SDAs) play important roles in directing
the formation of specific zeolite frameworks. Mechanisms and working
hypothesis were proposed for understanding how SDAs work during the
crystallization of zeolites. The lately reported cooperative structure-directing
effect based on the investigation into the synthetic system containing
both seed and organic species is one of them and is believed to be
effective for synthesizing zeolites which are difficult to access
or with novel structures. However, more examples are still needed
to support the thesis. Herein, we report for the first time the syntheses
of
MTT
-type zeolites with the simultaneous presences
of octyltrimethylammonium chloride (OTMAC) and
SFE
zeolite
seeds in the borosilicate system.
SFE
borosilicate zeolites
serve as exotic seeds for the crystallization of
MTT
-type
zeolites and together with OTMAC play cooperative structure-directing
roles. Besides, Al,B-
MTT
and heteroatom (Zr, V, and Fe)-incorporated
MTT
-type zeolites were directly synthesized with the introduction
of metal sources into the borosilicate system. Physicochemical properties
of the obtained
MTT
zeolites were characterized by X-ray
diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy,
N
2
physisorption, NH
3
-TPD,
27
Al NMR,
13
C NMR,
11
B NMR, UV–visible spectroscopy,
and UV Raman spectroscopy. The herein-reported phenomenon provides
an example to better understand the mechanism of zeolite crystallization,
and the synthesized zeolites may act as promising catalytic materials
in several organic reactions.