Ultrafast synthesis of 13X@NaA composites through plasma treatment for highly selective carbon capture

Abstract

The primary challenge in material design and fabrication is the achievement of excellent performance, economic materials, and fast and convenient synthesis for real-world applications. We tackled this challenge via ultrafast synthesis of core–shell 13X@NaA zeolite composites within only 30 min. Via plasma treatment, more silanol groups on the surface of 13X powders and hydroxyl radicals in the NaA precursor gel result in the accelerated formation of the NaA crystal shell. After potassium ion exchange to different degrees, the obtained 13X@NaKA composites exhibit extremely high selectivity of 149–380 for CO₂ over N₂ and maintain good capacity of 3.41–1.84 mmol g⁻¹. Our study provides a promising approach for the synthesis of core–shell zeolite composites as economic materials for further multiple applications.