Molecular simulation of alkene adsorption in zeolites

The adsorption isotherms of various alkenes and their mixtures in zeolites such as silicalite-1 (MFI-type), theta-1 (TON-type), and deca-dodecasil 3R (DDR-type) were calculated using the grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) approach. Additionally, the adsorption of alkene–alkane mixtures was simulated. The GCMC approach was combined with the configurational-bias Monte Carlo (CBMC) method. Effective Lennard–Jones parameters for the interaction between the oxygen atoms of all-silica zeolites and the sp²-hybridized groups of linear alkenes were determined using a united atom force field. They were adjusted to the experimental adsorption data of silicalite-1 (MFI). The inflection behaviour of the 1-heptene isotherm was investigated in detail. It is shown that, in the inflection region, the 1-heptene molecules alter their end-to-end length depending on their location. The occurrence of a maximum in the mixture adsorption isotherms is attributed to two effects: entropic effects and non-ideality effects. From the mixture simulations some general conclusions concerning the separation of hydrocarbons with silicalite-1 can be drawn. The transferability of the Lennard–Jones parameters to other zeolites was investigated. Simulations of adsorption isotherms in the zeolites theta-1 and DD3R and their comparison with experimental data indicate the possibility of transferring the parameters to other all-silica zeolites.     

Force field parametrization through fitting on inflection points in isotherms

We present a method to determine potential parameters in molecular simulations of confined systems through fitting on experimental isotherms with inflection points. The procedure uniquely determines the adsorbent-adsorbate interaction parameters and is very sensitive to the size parameter. The inflection points in the isotherms are often related to a subtle interplay between different adsorption sites. If a force field can predict this interplay, it also reproduces the remaining part of the isotherm correctly, i.e., the Henry coefficients and saturation loadings.     

氢在A、X及ZSM-5型沸石上的高压物理吸附

采用常规体积吸附装置测定了77、195、293K和7MPa的条件下氢在A、X及ZSM-5沸石上的吸附特性和吸附容量．所有的氢吸附等温线基本符合Ⅰ型等温线,但在77K,压力为2-5MPa的等温线上观察到了超临界高压吸附所特有的最大吸附量．从等温线确定了等量吸附热并讨论了其影响因素．根据骨架结构和所含阳离子类型的差异,各种沸石表现出不同的氢吸附量．其中NaX沸石在77K/4MPa下的重量储氢分数为2．55％,是该实验中所测得的最高吸附量．CaA、NaX和ZSM-5沸石的氢吸附量与其比表面积成正比,这与沸石中的可用空穴容积有关．然而NaA和KA沸石不存在这种线性关系．实验中还观察到,NaA与KA沸石间出现氢吸附量的临界值是由KA沸石中较大的阳离子堵塞效应引起的．该实验将吸附质分了的动力学直径与沸石主晶孔的有效直径之比用于判断物理吸附中的堵塞效应．     

Hydrophilic and hydrophobic adsorption on Y zeolites

The uniform large micropores of hydrothermally stable Y zeolites are used widely to confine both polar and non-polar molecules. This paper compares the physisorption of water, methanol, cyclohexane, benzene and other adsorbates over various Y zeolites. These adsorbents are commercial products with reproducibly controllable physical and chemical characteristics. Results indicate that the type I isotherms typical for micropore adsorption can turn into type II or type III isotherms depending on either or both the hydrophobicity of the adsorbent and the polarity of the adsorbate. Methanol produced a rare type V isotherm not reported over zeolites before. Canonical and grand canonical Monte Carlo molecular simulations with Metropolis importance sampling reproduced the experimental isotherms and showed characteristic geometric patterns for molecules confined in Na-X, Na-Y, dealuminated Y, and ZSM5 structures. Adsorbate—adsorbate interactions seem to determine the micropore condensation of both polar and non-polar molecules. Exchanged ions and lattice defects play a secondary role in shaping the adsorption isotherms. The force field of hydrophobic Y appears to exert an as yet unexplored sieving effect on adsorbates having different dipole moments and partial charge distributions. This mechanism is apparently different from both the monolayer formation controlled adsorption on hydrophobic mesopores and macropores and the polarizability and small-pore opening controlled micropore confinement in hydrophobic ZSM5.     

Adsorption of paracresol in silicalite-1 and pure silica faujasite. A comparison study using molecular simulation

This paper presents the results on the Grand-Canonical Monte Carlo simulations of the adsorption of the paracresol uremic toxin and water into the silicalite-1 and pure silica faujasite zeolites. The co-adsorption of water and paracresol seems to proceed along a cooperation effect between the toxin and the solvent. A model of adsorption that accounts for the effect of the solvent has been elaborated and verified using experimental isotherms. The model is based on the Langmuir isotherm in which an apparent adsorption enthalpy is used that changes with the concentration of the solute. The new expression for the isotherm reproduces the experimental isotherm with good accuracy and physical interpretation is given to justify the model.     

Surface topography problem and argon adsorption on crystalline faces: Monte-Carlo and lattice-gas model simulations

The lattice-gas model in the quasi-chemical approximation (QCA) was used for adsorption isotherms and heats of adsorption calculations. The theory considers the surface topography, taking into account the atomic surface structure and the occupancy correlation of different adsorption sites. A comparison between Monte-Carlo and QCA simulations of the adsorption isotherms for argon atoms on three faces (1 1 0), (1 0 0) and (1 0 1) of rutile shows that both techniques give rather similar results with the advantage of QCA calculations being performed in a fraction of the time necessary for the Monte-Carlo simulation.     

New insights into the adsorption isotherm interpretation by a coupled molecular simulation—experimental procedure

We present here Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation results of nitrogen adsorption at 77 K on a crude model of activated carbon. The material is modeled as slit-like pores of different widths, with smooth surfaces. The individual adsorption isotherms serve as the basis to check the success and limitations of the assumptions made when using the BET model to characterize adsorbent materials, in particular to calculate the monolayer capacity and the C parameter. As done in our previous work with several experimental adsorption isotherms, different linearizations of the BET equation are used. The aim of this work is to quantify, using statistical mechanics tools, the changes in the C factor with surface coverage, showing that C is an intrinsically energetic meaningful quantity. The amount of molecules adsorbed at each pressure is calculated in the first and subsequent layers. We also keep track of the adsorbent-adsorbate and adsorbate-adsorbate energy along the simulations. The C factor is obtained following two different routes: as directly derived from the BET equation, once the monolayer capacity is known, and from the heat of adsorption obtained directly from the simulations. Results from simulations confirm the changes in the C values with surface coverage. In addition, molecular simulations provide independent and consistent ways of calculating the monolayer capacity.     

Monte Carlo study of binary mixtures adsorbed on square lattices

The monolayer adsorption of interacting binary mixtures on 2D square lattices has been studied through grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation in the framework of the lattice-gas model. The process has been monitored through total and partial isotherms and differential heats of adsorption corresponding to both species of the mixture. Repulsive lateral interactions between the adsorbed particles have been considered, resulting in a rich variety of structural orderings in the adlayer. At the end of this work, the phase diagram characterizing the transitions occurring in the system has been determined. A nontrivial interdependence between the partial surface coverage of both species was observed and discussed.     

An electrochemical determination of oxygen adsorption on copper

The adsorption of oxygen on polycrystalline and thin film copper samples was studied with the solid state electrochemical cell: Cu,Cu₂O¦7.5wt%CaO/ZrO₂¦Cu in ultrahigh vacuum. The oxygen partial pressure in the bulk of the copper sample was controlled electrochemically by applying a voltage across the cell, while the oxygen coverage at the copper free surface was monitored by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). This technique has enabled us to establish much lower oxygen partial pressures at high temperatures than normally attainable in ultrahigh vacuum. In this paper we report the results of reversible oxygen adsorption isotherms on polycrystalline copper at 928, 970 and 1093 K. The results agree reasonably well with the deductions of earlier surface energy measurements and indicate a surprising degree of stability for chemisorbed oxygen on polycrystalline copper. Isosteric heats of adsorption are calculated with and without the inclusion of the earlier surface energy measurements and are compared to previous differential heats of adsorption determined calorimetrically.