Super multi-use minerals unveiled

The structure of zeolite scolecite, showing the aluminium and silicon atoms as the large sphere, connected by oxygen atoms in blue. The openings in the structure are the pores that serve to transport the molecules through the crystals to the active sites. The planes against which the scattering in the x-ray standing wave experiment occurs are highlighted; the experiment provides the distribution of aluminium and silicon within the crystal, yielding insights into where are the active sites in a zeolite. Credits: J. Van Bokhoven.