Zeolites are highly crystalline aluminosilicate materials which are characterised by their microporosity and open framework structures. Due to their porosity, zeolites have a variety of applications including catalysis, hydrocracking, ion-exchange and as drug release materials. We intend to use inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy on the TOSCA instrument to probe the OSDA species in the zeolite structures. In each case a different metal cation can be coordinated within the cavity of the 18-crown-6 ether molecule, therefore influencing the molecular vibrations. In addition to this, we aim to observe vibrations of the cation within the cavity and the cations within the framework. This will give an indication as to what cation is occupying the crowns cavity, allowing us also to identify its possible shape and interaction with the zeolite framework.
