Temperature-dependence of the influence of the position-2-methyl group on the structure-directing effect of piperazine in the synthesis of open-framework aluminophosphates

The temperature-dependence of the influence of the position-2-methyl group on the structure-directing effect of piperazine in the synthesis of open-framework aluminophosphates was investigated. By heating the initial mixture with the composition of Al2O3:1.5 P2O5:R:125 H2O at 160 °C, where R is the structure-directing agent of 2-methylpiperazine or piperazine, layered aluminophosphates APMeP150 (R = 2-methylpiperazine) and AP2pip (R = piperazine) were obtained. When the same initial reaction mixture was heated at 190 °C, layered aluminophosphates APMeP200 (R = 2-methylpiperazine) and AP2pip (R = piperazine) were crystallized. APMeP200 and AP2pip have the same inorganic sheet topology. We investigated the crystallization processes of the four open-framework aluminophosphates and found that increasing the heating temperature slowed the crystallization of the initial mixtures. The non-bonding interactions between the inorganic layers of the four open-framework aluminophosphates and the experimental or theoretically generated structure-directing agents were calculated. The possible starting points of the crystallization of the four open-framework aluminophosphates were analysed and compared. The temperature-dependence of the influence of the position-2-methyl group on the structure-directing effect of piperazine revealed that the structure-directing effect, the most important factor in the synthesis of zeolites and related open-framework materials, is determined by multiple factors. The structural parameters of the same compound can be affected by the synthesis conditions.