Time‐Resolved In Situ MAS NMR Monitoring of the Nucleation and Growth of Zeolite BEA Catalysts under Hydrothermal Conditions

Time‐resolved ¹³C, ²³Na, ²⁷Al, and ²⁹Si MAS NMR has been applied in situ for monitoring the hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite BEA. Isotopic labelling with ²⁹Si and ¹³C isotopes has been used to follow the fate of siliceous species and structure directing agent ((¹³CH₃−CH₂)₄NOH). Two mechanistic pathways, namely solution‐mediated and solid–solid hydrogel rearrangement have been distinguished for two synthesis procedures studied. The mechanisms of structure‐directing behavior of TEA⁺ cations in two reaction pathways have been elucidated. The results show that multinuclear MAS NMR can serve as a superior tool for monitoring hydrothermal synthesis of various solids including zeolites, zeotypes, mesoporous materials, metal–organic frameworks and so on and for the design of novel outstanding materials for different applications.