Self-assembled process for the preparation of ultra-thin zeolite films

A simple and effective process of preparing ultra-thin zeolite films on a silicon substrate is described. The starting material was a stable colloidal dispersion of TS-1 zeolite particles with a size of 50-100 nm. The silicon wafer is placed in a 20 mM solution of hexanoic acid in water at pH = 3. When the colloidal dispersion is added, the adsorption of the hexanoic acid molecules onto the zeolite particles causes them to deposit on the silicon wafer to form a thin layer with a thickness of about 103 nm.