Preparation of excessively Ni2+-exchanged zeolite Y (FAU, Si/Al = 1.70) and its single-crystal structure

A single crystal of excessively Ni2+-exchanged zeolite Y (FAU, Si/Al = 1.70) was prepared by exchange of |Na71|[Si121Al71O384]-FAU with an aqueous stream 0.05 M Ni(NO3)2 at 293 K and pH 4.9, followed by vacuum evacuation at room temperature and 1.3 × 10−4 Pa. Its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction techniques in the cubic space group Fd $$\overline{ 3}$$ m and was refined to the final error indices R 1/wR 2 = 0.0554/0.1557 for |Ni24.7(NiOH)12.1(Ni2O(OH)2)4.8(Ni4AlO4)1.7Na17.0(H3O)6.9|[Si117Al75O384]-FAU. Crystal has about 53 Ni2+ ions per unit cell, indicating the uptake of excess Ni(OH)2, perhaps as NiOH+ ions. Some dealumination of the framework occurred during Ni2+ exchange. In this structure, Ni2+ ions occupy sites I, I′, II′, II, and III′. The residual Na+ ions are found at sites II′ and II. Due to the low pH of the Ni2+ exchange solution, some H3O+ ions are observed. Nonframework oxygen atoms as oxide and hydroxide ions and orthoaluminate coordinate to some of Ni2+ ions to give NiOH+, Ni2O(OH)2, and Ni4AlO4 3+ groups.