A two-stage varying-temperature crystallization procedure can be used to synthesize particularly small colloidal crystals of TPA-silicalite-1 with reduced synthesis times and high yields. Using this procedure involves starting a synthesis at a reduced temperature which favours the nucleation of a large crystal population. The reduced temperature is maintained throughout the nucleation stage, after which an elevated temperature is used to accelerate the crystal growth and reach higher equilibrium yields favoured by higher temperatures