Aluminium siting in zeolite RTH from a combined machine learning - NMR approach

[EN] Determining the distribution of aluminium in zeolite frameworks remains a significant challenge, due to the limited sensitivity of conventional characterization techniques. To overcome this issue, we have developed a procedure which combines experimental two-dimensional (2D) solid-state NMR spe...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Willimetz, Daniel, Martinez-Ortigosa, Joaquin, Brako-Amoafo, Deborah, Grajciar, Lukas, Bornes, Carlos, Sarou-Kanian, Vincent, Heard, Christopher J., Vidal Moya, José Alejandro, Rey Garcia, Fernando|||0000-0003-3227-5669, Blasco Lanzuela, Teresa|||0000-0002-8115-4241
Format: article
Publication Date:2026
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repository:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:riunet______::63ca03b85a2b18fa860ec327054965fd
Online Access:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/233536
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Zeolite frameworks
Aluminium distribution
Solid-state NMR
Two-dimensional NMR
Machine learning
Zeolite RTH
Description
Summary:[EN] Determining the distribution of aluminium in zeolite frameworks remains a significant challenge, due to the limited sensitivity of conventional characterization techniques. To overcome this issue, we have developed a procedure which combines experimental two-dimensional (2D) solid-state NMR spectroscopy with machine learning (ML) techniques. To validate the approach, we have applied it to achieve a detailed assignment of Al environments in zeolite RTH. A reactive ML potential was used to model long-timescale framework dynamics under realistic conditions, including temperature and hydration, alongside the accurate prediction of isotropic NMR chemical shifts. Comparison between theoretical and experimental spectra reveals that Al preferentially occupies the T2 sites, with under-population of the other T-sites. The excellent agreement between computed and observed NMR data demonstrates that this ML-augmented spectroscopic approach is a powerful tool for quantitative elucidation of Al distributions in structurally complex zeolites, going far beyond the limitations of traditional quantum chemical approaches.