• Korean Journal of Crystallography
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.59-68
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• 2004

Three crystal structures of dehydrated partially $Co^{2+}-exchanged$ zeolite A treated with 0.6 Torr of K at $300^{\circ}C$ (for 12 hrs, 6 hrs, and 2 hrs) vapor have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques in the cubic space group Pm3m at 21(1)$^{\circ}C(a=12.181(1)\;{\AA},\;a=12.184(1)\;{\AA},\;and\;a=12.215(1)\;{\AA})\;respectively)$. Their structures were refined to the final error indices, R(weight) of 0.090 with 10 reflections, 0.091 with 82 reflections, and 0.090 with 80 reflections, respectively, for which $1>\sigma(I)$. In each structure, all four $Co^{2+}$ and four $Na^+$ ions to be reduced by K atoms. The cobalt and sodium atoms produced are no longer found in the zeolite. K species are found at five different crystallographic sites: three $K^+$ ions lie at the planes of 8-rings, filling that position, ca. 11.5 K^+$ ions lie on threefold axes, ca. 4.0 in the large cavity and ca. 4.0 in the sodalite cavity, and ca. 0.5 $K^+$ ion is found near a 4-ring. ca. three $K^0$ atoms are found deep into the large cavity on threefold axes. In these structures, crystallographic results show that cationic tetrahedral $K_4$ (and/or triangular $K_3$) clusters have formed in the sodalites of zeolite A. The $K_4$ and/or $K_3$ clusters coordinate trigonally to three oxygens of a six-oxygen ring. The partially reduced ions of these clusters interact primarily with oxygen atoms of the zeolite structure rather than with each other. ca. 14.5K species are found per unit cell, more than the twelve $K^+$ ions needed to balance the anionic charge of zeolite framework, indicating that sorption of $K^0$ has occurred. The three $K^0$ atoms in the large cavity are closely associated with three out of four $K^+$ ions in the large cavity to form $K_7^{4+}$ clusters. The $K_7^{4+}$ cluster not interacts primarily with framework oxygens.