Synthesis and Characterization of Fe-JLU-15 Mesoporous Silica Via a Microwave-Hydrothermal Process

Fe-JLU-15 materials with different Si/Fe ratios (Si/Fe = 90, 50, 10) have been synthesized by microwave-hydrothermal process and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques. Electrons spin resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopies, along with electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, allowed differentiation of several iron species. These species correspond to hematite particles, very small “isolated” or oligomeric Fe^III species possibly incorporated in the mesoporous silica wall, and Fe^III oxide clusters either isolated or agglomerated, forming “rafts” at the surface of the silica and exhibiting ferromagnetic ordering. Because of their agglomeration, these clusters appear with a two-peak size distribution, with one peak corresponding to the isolated clusters formed in the mesopores and still embedded in them and the other corresponding to the agglomerates spread on the surface of the mesoporous silica particles.     

Characterization of iron-mesoporous molecular sieves obtained by a microwave-hydrothermal process

Fe-SBA-15 materials with different Si/Fe ratios (Si/Fe = 90, 50, 10) have been synthesized by a microwave-hydrothermal (M-H) process and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques. Electrons spin resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopies, along with electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, allowed differentiation of several iron species. These species correspond to hematite particles, very small “isolated” or oligomeric Fe^III species possibly incorporated in the mesoporous silica wall, and Fe^III oxide clusters either isolated or agglomerated, forming “rafts” at the surface of the silica and exhibiting ferromagnetic ordering. Due to their agglomeration, these clusters appear with a two-peak size distribution, with one peak corresponding to the isolated clusters formed in the mesopores and still embedded in them (ca. 2 nm diameter) and the other corresponding to the agglomerates spread on the surface of the mesoporous silica particles (ca. 9 nm).     

High activities of iron-FSM-16 materials synthesized by a microwave-hydrothermal process in friedel-crafts alkylations

Iron-FSM-16 materials with different Si/Fe ratios (Si/Fe = 90, 60, and 10) have been synthesized by microwave-hydrothermal process and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques. X-ray diffraction, electron spin resonance, diffuse reflectance UV-visual and Mössbauer absorption spectroscopies allowed differentiation of several iron species. These species correspond to hematite particles, very small isolated Fe (III) species possibly incorporated in the mesoporous silica wall, and iron oxide clusters either isolated or agglomerated, forming “rafts” at the surface of the silica and exhibiting ferromagnetic ordering. Very importantly, catalytic data in benzylation of aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene with benzyl chloride shows that Fe-FSM-16 synthesized by microwave-hydrothermal process samples are very active and recycle catalysts.     

The synthesis, structural characterization, magnetochemistry and Mössbauer spectroscopy of [Fe3LnO2(CCl3COO)8H2O(THF)3] (Ln = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Lu and Y)

The new tetranuclear complexes [Fe₃Ln(μ₃-O)₂(CCl₃COO)₈(H₂O)(THF)₃]·THF (Ln = Ce^III (1), Pr^III (2), Nd^III (3)) and [Fe₃Ln(μ₃-O)₂(CCl₃COO)₈(H₂O)(THF)₃]·THF·C₇H₁₆ (Ln = Sm^III (4), Eu^III (5), Gd^III (6), Tb^III (7), Dy^III (8), Ho^III (9), Lu^III (10) and Y^III (11)) have been prepared. All compounds were prepared by the reaction between [Fe₂BaO(CCl₃COO)₆(THF)₆] and the corresponding Ln^III nitrate salt. The crystal structures of 1–4, 8 and 9 have been determined; these isostructural molecules have a non-planar {Fe₃Ln(μ₃-O)₂} “butterfly” core. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show dominant intramolecular antiferromagnetic exchange interactions for all the complexes. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy shows three different environments for the Fe^III metal ions, all in their high-spin state S = 5/2 (confirming that no electron transfer from Ce^III to Fe^III occurs in 1). At the time scale of the Mössbauer spectroscopy (about 10⁻⁷ s), evidence of magnetization blocking, i.e. slow relaxation of the magnetization, is observed below 3 K for 7, which was confirmed by ac susceptibility measurements.     

Uncompensated magnetization in the layered molecular antiferromagnet {N(n-C5H11)4[MnFe(ox)3]}∞

Studies on the magnetic properties of the molecular antiferromagnetic material {N(n-C₅H₁₁)₄[Mn^IIFe^III(ox)₃]}_∞, carried out by various physical techniques (AC/DC magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, heat capacity measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy) at low temperatures, have been presented. Different experimental observations complement each other and provide a clue for the observation of an uncompensated magnetization below the Néel temperature and short-range correlations persisting high above T_N. It is understood that the honeycomb layered structure of the compound contains non-equivalent magnetic sub-lattices, (Mn^II–ox–Fe^III_A–...) and (Mn^II–ox–Fe^III_B–...), where different responses of the Fe^III_A and Fe^III_B spin sites towards an external magnetic field might be responsible for the observation of the uncompensated magnetization in this compound at T < T_N. The present magnetic system is an S = 5/2 2-D Heisenberg antiferromagnet system with the intralayer exchange parameter J/k_B = −3.29 K. A very weak interlayer exchange interaction was anticipated from the spin wave modeling of the magnetic heat capacity for T < 0.5T_N. The positive sign of the coupling between the layers has been concluded from the Mössbauer spectrum in the applied magnetic field. Frustration in the magnetic interactions gives rise to the uncompensated magnetic moment in this compound at low temperatures.     

Adsorption characteristics of metal-EDTA complexes onto hydrous oxides

The adsorption characteristics of a variety of metal-EDTA complexes onto hydrous oxides, principally aluminum oxide (γ-Al₂O₃), were examined in aqueous solution. Adsorption of these complexes increased with increasing proton concentration due to the formation of surface complexes between EDTA and the surface hydroxo groups, specifically the AlOH₂⁺ surface groups. The pH-dependent adsorptive behavior and the magnitude of adsorption of the “free” EDTA species were similar to those of the metal complexes. The results also showed that the adsorption of “free” EDTA was exothermic, while the adsorption of Ni(II)-EDTA complexes was endothermic in the lower pH region (3.5) and exothermic at higher pH values (6.0). This implied that the surface preferred the NiHEDTA⁻¹ species rather than the NiEDTA⁻² species. Specific adsorption of the metal complexes was evidenced by the charge reversal exhibited by the γ-Al₂O₃ particles at the highest surface loadings. A quantitative model was formulated based on the pH-dependent speciation of the oxide surface, speciation of the metal complexes in solution, and ζ potential measurements. This model proved valid over a wide range of pH (3–10) and for both high (>50% coverage) and low (<10% coverage) surface loadings.     

Influence of Calcination Conditions on Structural and Solid-State Kinetic Properties of Iron Oxidic Species Supported on SBA-15

Iron oxidic species supported on silica SBA-15 were synthesized with various iron loadings using two different Fe^III precursors. The effect of varying powder layer thickness during calcination on structural and solid-state kinetic properties of Fe_xO_y/SBA-15 samples was investigated. Calcination was conducted in thin (0.3 cm) or thick (1.3 cm) powder layer. Structural characterization of resulting Fe_xO_y/SBA-15 samples was performed by nitrogen physisorption, X-ray diffraction, and DR-UV/Vis spectroscopy. Thick powder layer during calcination induced an increased species size independent of the precursor. However, a significantly more pronounced influence of calcination mode on species size was observed for the Fe^III nitrate precursor compared to the Fe^III citrate precursor. Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) experiments revealed distinct differences in reducibility and reduction mechanism dependent on calcination mode. Thick layer calcination of the samples obtained from Fe^III nitrate precursor resulted in more pronounced changes in TPR profiles compared to samples obtained from Fe^III citrate precursor. TPR traces were analyzed by model-dependent Coats-Redfern method and model-independent Kissinger method. Differences in solid-state kinetic properties of Fe_xO_y/SBA-15 samples dependent on powder layer thickness during calcination correlated with differences in iron oxidic species size.     

Mesoporous silica functionalized with diethylenetriamine moieties for metal removal and thermodynamics of cation–basic center interactions

The inorganic–organic hybrid material was synthesized by co-condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate and the organosilane N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]diethylenetriamine. Spectroscopic analysis of the hybrid material by FTIR showed bands at 2937 and 2839 cm⁻¹ related to ν(CH); ²⁹Si NMR spectrum gave signals at −108, −99, −68 and −59 ppm, Q⁴, Q³, T⁴ and T² species related to the silica backbone structure. The well-defined peaks obtained in the ¹³C NMR spectrum in the 10–58 ppm region confirmed the attachment of organic functional groups as pendant chains bonded into the porous silica. Particle morphology evaluated by a scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study showed the formation of spherical particles in the nanometer range. The X-ray diffraction pattern showed a peak at a 2θ of 2.3°, demonstrating the mesoporous characteristic of the synthesized material. Adsorption evaluated by batch equilibrium processes gave the maximum adsorption of 2.2 and 2.8 mmol g⁻¹ for copper and nickel, respectively. From these values a stoichiometry of 2:1 for cation/ligand was established, considering the amount of 1.2 mmol of pendant groups per gram of the hybrid material. Thermodynamic parameters related to the adsorption of metal ions, evaluated using the calorimetric titration technique presented a negative Gibbs free energy value, in agreement with the spontaneity of cation removal on the basic center in the mesoporous silica at the solid/liquid interface.     

Electrorheological effect of carbonaceous materials with hierarchical porous structures

Carbonaceous materials with different hierarchical porous structures for electrorheological (ER) dispersed phase have been synthesized by carbonization of as-prepared starch/silica precurser at different temperatures. The N₂ adsorption isotherms show that Cmeso-700 and Cmeso-500 particles have the BET surface areas of 1028 and 603 m² g⁻¹, respectively. They both have the mesoporous pores with size of about 4.6 nm and the microporous pores (1.1 and 1.5 nm, respectively). The BET surface areas and C/O atomic ratio of porous carbon materials can be increased with the carbonization temperatures. The rheological measurements indicate that the Cmeso-700 and Cmeso-500 ERF have the better ER effect resulted from their hierarchical porous structures. The shear stress of Cmeso-700 ERF is 900 Pa at 1000 s⁻¹ under 3 kV mm⁻¹, which is almost 4.5 times larger than that of Cmicro-350 ERF. The mesoporous carbon ERFs also show the better sedimentation stability than microporous carbon ERFs. The different ER effect of carbonaceous particles may derive from their different dielectric polarization property induced by the hierarchical porous structures.     

Revealing the Fine Details of Functionalized Silica Surfaces by Solid‐State NMR and Adsorption Isotherm Measurements: The Case of Fluorinated Stationary Phases for Liquid Chromatography

The structural and chromatographic characterization of two novel fluorinated mesoporous materials prepared by covalent reaction of 3‐(pentafluorophenyl)propyldimethylchlorosilane and perfluorohexylethyltrichlorosilane with 2.5 μm fully porous silica particles is reported. The adsorbents were characterized by solid state ²⁹Si, ¹³C, and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy, low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption, elemental analysis (C and F), and various chromatographic measurements, including the determination of adsorption isotherms. The structure and abundance of the different organic surface species, as well as the different silanol types, were determined. In particular, the degree of so‐called horizontal polymerization, that is, Si‐O‐Si bridging parallel to the silica surface due to the reaction, under “quasi‐dry” conditions, of trifunctional silanizing agents with the silica surface was quantified. Significant agreement was found between the information provided by solid‐state NMR, elemental analysis, and excess isotherms regarding the amount of surface residual silanol groups, on the one hand, and the degree of surface functionalization, on the other. Finally, the kinetic performance of the fluorinated materials as separation media for applications in near‐ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography was evaluated. At reduced velocities of about 5.5 (ca. 600 bar backpressure at room temperature) with 3 mm diameter columns and toluene as test compound, reduced plate heights on the order of 2 were obtained on columns of both adsorbents.     

Temperature-dependent interfacial properties of hydrophobically end-modified poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline)s assemblies at the air/water interface and on solid substrates

We describe herein the properties at the air/water (A/W) interface of hydrophobically end-modified (HM) poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline)s (PiPrOx) bearing an n-octadecyl chain on both termini (telechelic HM-PiPrOx) or on one chain end (semitelechelic HM-PiPrOx) for different subphase temperatures and spreading solvents using the Langmuir film balance technique. The polymer interfacial properties revealed by the π–A isotherms depend markedly on the architecture and molecular weight of the polymer. On cold water subphases (14 °C), diffusion of PiPrOx chains onto water takes place for all polymers in the intermediate compressibility region (5 mN m⁻¹). At higher subphase temperatures (36 and 48 °C), the HM-PiPrOx film exhibited remarkable stability with time. Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) imaging of the A/W interface showed that the polymer assembly was not uniform and that large domains formed, either isolated grains or pearl necklaces, depending on the polymer structure, the concentration of the spreading solution and the subphase temperature. The Langmuir films were transferred onto hydrophilic substrates (silica) by the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique and onto hydrophobic substrates (gold) by Langmuir–Schaefer (LS) film deposition, resulting in the formation of adsorbed particles ranging in size from 200 to 500 nm, depending on the polymer architecture and the substrate temperature. The particles presented “Janus”-like hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics.     

Template-free sol–gel synthesis of high surface area mesoporous silica based catalysts for esterification of di-carboxylic acids

High surface area mesoporous silica based catalysts have been prepared by a simple hydrolysis/sol–gel process without using any organic template and hydrothermal treatment. A controlled hydrolysis of ethyl silicate-40, an industrial bulk chemical, as a silica precursor, resulted in the formation of very high surface area (719 m²/g) mesoporous (pore size 67 Å and pore volume 1.19 cc/g) silica. The formation of mesoporous silica has been correlated with the polymeric nature of the ethyl silicate-40 silica precursor which on hydrolysis and further condensation forms long chain silica species which hinders the formation of a close condensed structure thus creating larger pores resulting in the formation of high surface mesoporous silica. Ethyl silicate-40 was used further for preparing a solid acid catalyst by supporting molybdenum oxide nanoparticles on mesoporous silica by a simple hydrolysis sol–gel synthesis procedure. The catalysts showed very high acidity as determined by NH₃-TPD with the presence of Lewis as well as Brønsted acidity. These catalysts showed very high catalytic activity for esterification; a typical acid catalyzed organic transformation of various mono- and di-carboxylic acids with a range of alcohols. The in situ formed silicomolybdic acid heteropoly-anion species during the catalytic reactions were found to be catalytically active species for these reactions. Ethyl silicate-40, an industrial bulk silica precursor, has shown a good potential for its use as a silica precursor for the preparation of mesoporous silica based heterogeneous catalysts on a larger scale at a lower cost.     

Complex Formation of d‐Metal Ions at the Interface of TbIII‐Doped Silica Nanoparticles as a Basis of Substrate‐Responsive TbIII‐Centered Luminescence

The complex formation of d‐metal ions at the interface of Tb^III‐doped silica nanoparticles modified by amino groups is introduced as a route to sensing d‐metal ions and some organic molecules. Diverse modes of surface modification (covalent and noncovalent) are used to fix amino groups onto the silica surface. The interfacial binding of d‐metal ions and complexes is the reason for the Tb^III‐centered luminescence quenching. The regularities and mechanisms of quenching are estimated for the series of d‐metal ions and their complexes with chelating ligands. The obtained results reveal the interfacial binding of Cu^II ions as the basis of their quantitative determination in the concentration range 0.1–2.5 μM by means of steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements. The variation of chelating ligands results in a significant effect on the quenching regularities due to diverse binding modes (inner or outer sphere) between amino groups at the interface of nanoparticles and Fe^III ions. The applicability of the steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements to sense both Fe^III ions and catechols in aqueous solution by means of Tb^III‐doped silica nanoparticles is also introduced.     

Chemical transformations of a SiO2-supported [Fe5RhC(CO)16]− cluster and catalysis of propylene hydroformylation

Chemical transformations of SiO₂-supported [Fe₅RhC(CO)₁₆]^– and [Fe₄RhC(CO)₁₄]^– clusters in Ar, CO, and synthesis gas are studied by IR spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that partial transformation of the [Fe₅RhC(CO)₁₆]^– cluster to the [Fe₄RhC(CO)₁₄]^– cluster occurs immediately after its deposition on the substrate surface with the simultaneous formation of Fe²⁺ ions. The complete conversion of the supported [Fe₅RhC(CO)₁₆]^– cluster to [Fe₄RhC(CO)₁₄]^– is observed at 323 K in the synthesis gas. At 373 to 423 K [Fe₅RhC(CO)₁₆]^– transforms into a mixture of Fe₄Rh₂C(CO)₁₆, [Fe₄RhC(CO)₁₄]^–, and [Fe₅₃Rh₃C(CO)₁₅]^– clusters. In the 523 to 623 K range, the supported [Fe₅RhC(CO)₁₆]^– cluster decarbonylates completely to form bimetallic species Å 5 Å in size. Silica-supported FeRh clusters are active in propylene hydroformylation at 423 to 473 K and form a mixture of butyl alcohols and butyraldehydes.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 632–641, April, 1995.This work was financially supported by the Krasnoyarsk Region Scince Foundation (Grant No. 1F0020).     

Distribution of Co(II) between immiscible phases formed in water + 1-butanol system

Heterogeneous equilibria for the distribution of Co²⁺ between the two layers formed in water + 1-butanol (1-BuOH) system have been investigated at ambient conditions. The study (confined to only 28 °C) reveals an interesting feature of the distribution equilibrium for the system whereby Co²⁺ has been found to exist in both the phases as the same species namely its aqua-complex thus directly demonstrating strong selective solvation of Co²⁺ by the water molecules. Almost constant values of refractive indices and densities were exhibited by the two layers regardless in which ratio the component liquids were mixed together. However, relative volumes of the layers varied smoothly on gradually changing the ratio of the two liquids in the overall “solvent system”. Also the Co²⁺ distribution coefficient (K_D) changed appreciably on going to alcohol-richer “solvent systems” but K_D remained fairly constant on adding different amounts of cobalt dichloride to any given “solvent system”.     

Amine groups functionalized gel-type resin supported Pd catalysts: Physicochemical and catalytic properties in hydrogenation of alkynes

Palladium catalysts (0.125–0.5 wt.% Pd) supported by amine groups—functionalized gel-type resin (FCN) were studied in the hydrogenation of alkynes reagents, 2-butyne-1,4-diol and phenylacetylene. The catalysts were prepared by two routes. The first, “OAc” is based on the immobilization of Pd-precursor in the pre-swollen resin from THF solution of Pd(OAc)₂, followed by chemical reduction of the Pd-centers. This method produces Pd particles of size in nano-scale. The second procedure, “aq” implies the deposition of Pd-species on dry resin beads using aqueous solution of PdCl₂. Reduction of these Pd-species gives relatively large Pd particles, dominating are 30–50 nm in size. The SEM studies performed over the cross-section of catalysts grains showed location of Pd in outer shell of polymer beads in both “OAc” and “aq” catalysts; however, thinner layer of Pd appears in “aq” series catalysts. In the presence of all catalysts, prepared by “OAc” and “aq” methods the selectivity towards alkenes is high, above 90%. The catalysts of “aq’ series are much more active and more selective than “OAc” analogues giving selectivity to alkene ca. 94% at almost complete conversion of alkynes. Moreover, catalytic performance of “aq’ series catalyst is unchanged under recycling use. The catalyst was recovered and reused 4 times, maintaining its catalytic efficiency.     

Identification and Spectroscopic Characterization of Nonheme Iron(III) Hypochlorite Intermediates

Fe^III–hypohalite complexes have been implicated in a wide range of important enzyme‐catalyzed halogenation reactions including the biosynthesis of natural products and antibiotics and post‐translational modification of proteins. The absence of spectroscopic data on such species precludes their identification. Herein, we report the generation and spectroscopic characterization of nonheme Fe^III–hypohalite intermediates of possible relevance to iron halogenases. We show that Fe^III‐OCl polypyridylamine complexes can be sufficiently stable at room temperature to be characterized by UV/Vis absorption, resonance Raman and EPR spectroscopies, and cryo‐ESIMS. DFT methods rationalize the pathways to the formation of the Fe^III‐OCl, and ultimately Fe^IV?O, species and provide indirect evidence for a short‐lived Fe^II‐OCl intermediate. The species observed and the pathways involved offer insight into and, importantly, a spectroscopic database for the investigation of iron halogenases.     

Facile synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with controlled morphologies using water–acetone media

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles with controlled morphologies including nanococoons, nanorods and nanospheres have been synthesized in water–acetone media at room temperature using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the template. The obtained nanoparticles generally show hexagonal-like mesoporous structures with average pore size ranging from 2.7 to 3.3 nm and surface area from 806 to 1055 m²/g, respectively. It was found that the changes in water-to-acetone molar ratios have a dramatic impact on the morphologies of the mesoporous silica with different surface roughness, probably due to the solvent influence on the rate of the hydrolysis of tetraethoxy silane (TEOS) and the polymerization of inorganic species. Interestingly, the morphology of the mesoporous silica products can be controlled in shape from nanococoons to nanorods to nanospheres just by decreasing the water-to-acetone molar ratio from 75 to 30 to 15, respectively. From transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, it was observed that mesoporous parallel channels run along the short axis in some areas in the nanorods, whereas the radially arranged mesopore channels are present in the nanospheres. Additionally, hydrothermal treatment leads to rougher surfaces while retaining the morphologies and nanostructures of these mesoporous silicas.     

“In situ” ESR and UV-visible spectroscopic studies of iron phthalocyanine films deposited on gold electrodes

The electrochemical behaviour of iron phthalocyanine (Fe^IIPc) films, supported on gold substrates, was studied in 3.5 M NaOH solution, using cyclic voltammetry and coupled “in situ” ESR and UV-visible spectroscopic techniques. Two types of electron transfer were observed in the potential range from −0.45 to −1.0 V vs. Hg/HgO. According to the “in situ” spectroscopy investigations, these two processes were assigned respectively to electron transfers involving first the ligand ring, and then the centre iron ion.     

Hierarchically macro/mesoporous silica monoliths constructed with interconnecting micrometer-sized unit rods

Under typical dilute reactant compositions (3 ~ 5 wt% of surfactant template concentration) and conventional hydrothermal conditions for mesoporous materials synthesis, successful preparation of hierarchically macro/mesoporous silica monoliths was reported in this paper. The resultant materials were characterized by a series of techniques including powder X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption–desorption, SEM, TEM/EDS, and Hg porosimetry. A new kind of stable and hierarchically porous pure silica monoliths was confirmed, which are featured with highly ordered mesoporous structures, rod-shaped unit particles, large specific surface area of 492 m²/g, continuous macropores of about 4.0 μm in size and high macropore volume of about 13.1 cm³/g. Moreover, using the resultant silica monoliths as hard templates, carbon monoliths have been successfully replicated, which inherit the structural characters of parent silica materials. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.