Ultrastrong Alkali-Resisting Lanthanide-Zeolites Assembled by [Ln₆₀] Nanocages

Abstract

Zeolites, as one of the most important porous materials, are most widely utilized in sorbents, catalysis, and ion-exchange fields. However, the multi-functional lanthanide-zeolites constructed exclusively by lanthanide ions and oxygen linkers are to our knowledge unknown hitherto. Herein, we, for the first time, report the unique structure and multifunctions of lanthanide zeolites (<b>1·Gd</b>, <b>1·Tb</b>, <b>1·Dy</b>), featuring 60 nuclear [Ln₆₀] nanocages as building blocks and ultrastrong alkali-resisting. These compounds possess extremely high stability and still retain single crystallinity after treatment in boiling water, 0.1 M HCl, and 20 M NaOH aqueous solutions. Magnetic studies revealed <b>1·Gd</b> has large magnetocaloric effect with −Δ<i>S</i>_m^max = 66.5 J kg^–1 K^–1, falling among the largest values known to date. Importantly, these lanthanide-zeolites themselves can efficiently catalyze the cycloaddition of CO₂ with epoxides under mild conditions. Our finding extends the conventional zeolites to lanthanide counterparts, opening a new space for seeking novel and/or multifunctional zeolites