Determination of Polymorph A‐Enrichment and Absolute Structure of Chiral Zeolite Beta Through Electron Crystallography

T Teng‐Yu Huang (Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China) X Xu‐Dong Wang (Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China) Y Yu‐Fei Ao (Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China) Q Qi‐Yu Zheng (Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China) J Junliang Sun (College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences) Q Qi‐Qiang Wang (Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China) D De‐Xian Wang (Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Zeolite Beta, one of the earliest recognized chiral zeolitic systems and widely used in the chemical industry, poses a significant challenge for characterizing its chiral structure because of its intergrowth of polymorphs. Herein, we report a comprehensive electron crystallography framework for the determination of polymorph ratios, absolute structures, and enantiomeric distributions in zeolite Beta. By developing an optimized real‐space imaging protocol based on scanning transmission electron microscopy, we circumvent the mechanical tilting limits of electron microscopy, enabling chiral identification even at arbitrary crystal orientations. Furthermore, we introduce a weighted refinement strategy for 3D electron diffraction (3D ED). By utilizing dynamical diffraction simulations to derive weighting factors from enantiomeric intensity disparities, the sensitivity of absolute structure determination is significantly enhanced, overcoming the dilution of chiral signals by centrosymmetric components. Experimental validation confirms that this integrated approach accurately quantifies regional polymorph A enrichment and successfully discriminates between P 4 1 22 and P 4 3 22 enantiomers. This work not only addresses long‐standing challenges in characterizing intergrown chiral zeolites but also provides a refined methodological paradigm for investigating such complex porous materials.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 1, Issue 1
Published April 27, 2026
ISSN 0935-9648
Publisher Unknown Publisher

Journal Info

Advanced Materials

Unknown Publisher

ISSN: 0935-9648 Physical Sciences

Authors (7)

T

Teng‐Yu Huang

Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

X

Xu‐Dong Wang

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

Y

Yu‐Fei Ao

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

Q

Qi‐Yu Zheng

Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

J

Junliang Sun

College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences

Q

Qi‐Qiang Wang

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

D

De‐Xian Wang

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China