Ramkrishnan, Aruna2012-04-262012-04-262011-03https://hdl.handle.net/11299/123060University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. March 2011. Major: Chemical Engineering. Advisors: Prof. Michael Tsapatsis, Prof. Marc Hillmyer. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 113 pages, appendices p. 105-113.The project goal is to achieve confined synthesis of zeolites in nanoporous polymers. Different research directions have been explored towards this goal in terms of both choice of a suitable polymer template and choice of a suitable zeolite synthesis method, until the correct conditions for confined synthesis of zeolite in nanoporous polymers were found. The main contributions of this body of work are: (i) The stability of polymer thin films has been studied under zeolite synthesis conditions and the formation of sub-monolayers of a,b oriented Silicalite-1 crystals on a polymer thin film has been reported. (ii) Confined synthesis of disordered, mesoporous Silicalite-1 has been demonstrated in a nanoporous linear polyethylene template. (iii) Solvothermal synthesis methods have been explored using ethanol as a medium to synthesize Silicalite-1 for potential application to confined synthesis.en-USChemical EngineeringThesis or Dissertation