Scent molecules encapsulated in zeolites: investigation to control their release

Fragrances and scent molecules find widespread application across various industries. However, a significant challenge encountered by the industry is the storage instability of these fragrances. A promising approach to mitigate this problem involves encapsulating the scent molecules within appropriate matrices, such as zeolites. In this experiment, therefore, we would like to explore the mechanism of scent molecule absorption into different zeolite matrixes and the release as a function of the temperature. Structural investigations depicting guest-host interaction are, indeed, necessary to tune and control the release. This can have important industrial/medical/agricultural applications to increase the use of essential oils instead of toxic chemicals.

香料与气味分子被广泛应用于多个行业领域。然而，该行业面临的一项重大挑战是这类香料的储存稳定性不足。缓解这一问题的极具前景的方案之一，是将气味分子封装于合适的载体基质中，例如沸石(zeolites)。因此，在本实验中，我们将探究气味分子被不同沸石基质吸附的机制，以及其释放行为随温度变化的规律。若要优化并调控气味分子的释放过程，对主客体相互作用开展结构表征研究实属必要。该研究成果可在工业、医疗、农业等领域发挥重要应用价值，助力提升精油的使用比例，以替代有毒化学制品。