This review showcases how ²⁷ Al MQMAS NMR in combination with 3D correlation of the chemical shift and quadrupolar parameters, enables unambiguously identifying and assigning alumina phases ( e.g. transition alumina's α, χ, κ, θ, γ, δ, η, ρ), independent of their crystallinity, even in physical mixtures.

Water is the sustainable solvent of excellence, but its high polarity limits the solubility of non-polar compounds. Confinement of water in hydrophobic pores alters its hydrogen bonding structure and related properties such as dielectric constant and solvation power. Whether this special state of confined water can be rendered useful in chemical processes is hitherto underexplored. Confining water in hydrophobic nanopores could be a way to modulate water solvent properties, enabling the use of water as a tuneable solvent (WaTuSo). Applying pressure forces a heterogeneous mixture of poorly soluble molecules and water into hydrophobic nanopores of a host material where the lowered polarity of water enhances dissolution. Decompression after reaction causes expulsion of the solution from the pores and spontaneous demixing of reaction products because water returns to its normal polar state. Temporary dissolution enhancement during confinement is expected to be advantageous to chemical reaction and molecular storage. Nano-confined water offers a potential alternative to compression for storing CH₄ and H₂ gas, and opens new opportunities for green chemistry such as aqueous phase hydrogenation reactions which benefit from enhanced hydrogen solubility. Unprecedented control in time and space over H₂O solvation properties in a WaTuSo system will enable new technologies with major scientific and societal impact.

NMR-crystallography, combining advanced NMR, diffraction and molecular modelling reveals a zundel based super-ion to template hydroxysodalite.

Current nucleation models propose manifold options for the formation of crystalline materials. Exploring and distinguishing between different crystallization pathways on the molecular level however remain a challenge, especially for complex porous materials. These usually consist of large unit cells with an ordered framework and pore components and often nucleate in complex, multiphasic synthesis media, restricting in-depth characterization. This work shows how aluminosilicate speciation during crystallization can be documented in detail in monophasic hydrated silicate ionic liquids (HSILs). The observations reveal that zeolites can form via supramolecular organization of ion-paired prenucleation clusters, consisting of aluminosilicate anions, ion-paired to alkali cations, and imply that zeolite crystallization from HSILs can be described within the spectrum of modern nucleation theory.