Quantitative Nanoscale Imaging of Strain in ZSM-5 Zeolites: Bridging Structure and Selectivity

• Grant number: 25/23677-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Florian Edouard Pierre Meneau
• Grantee: Luiza Minucci Manente
• Supervisor: Marie-Ingrid Richard
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), France
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/13800-4 - Time-resolved in situ structural dynamics and 3D visualisation investigations of nanozeolites during catalysis, BP.DD

Abstract

The catalytic dehydration of bioethanol into high-value products such as ethylene and diethyl ether represents a key step towards sustainable chemical production and reduced dependence on fossil resources. However, the structural origins of selectivity in zeolite catalysts remain largely unresolved, as conventional characterisation methods provide only averaged information and cannot access local lattice distortions under reactive conditions. This project aims to establish, for the first time, a three-dimensional correlation between lattice strain and catalytic selectivity in ZSM-5 zeolites, by using Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging (BCDI) and Bragg Ptychography (BP). These techniques enable the quantitative reconstruction of nanoscale strain fields and crystal morphology, offering unprecedented insights into how framework composition, aluminium distribution (aluminium zoning), and molecular size effects govern zeolite flexibility and catalytic behaviour. The experimental work will be carried out at the ID01 beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), exploiting its high coherence and advanced instrumentation. Through a combination of in situ and ex situ measurements, the project will aim to disentangle the respective roles of thermal strain, reactant adsorption, and steric hindrance in modulating product selectivity. The internship will deliver methodological advances in coherent diffraction imaging, enhance understanding of structure-function relationships in zeolite catalysis, and strengthen collaboration between ESRF and the Brazilian synchrotron communities, paving the way for future operando studies.