Well-controlled cubic nanocrystals of TMA-A zeolite with a size of 60 similar to 100 nm were synthesized by a hydrothermal methodin a solution with a A1(i-pro)(3): 2.2 TEOS: 2.4 TMAOH: 0.3 NaOH: 200H(2)O composition. The single TMA-A nanocrystals has an average lattice constant of 24.61 angstrom and a surface area of 742.36 M-2/g. A thermal treatment of the TMA zeolite crystals resulted in their becoming amorphous above 900 degrees C. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and a DTA/TGA and BET analysis were used to characterize the initial materials and the products obtained after various heat treatments.

Keywords: TMA-A zeolite; nanocrystal; morphology; heat treatment; phase transformation