A study of the adsorption properties of modified layered silicate

The composition and structure of vermiculite samples modified successively with hydrochloric acid and chitosan are studied with the use of X-ray fluorescence and X-ray-diffraction analyses, as well as IR spectroscopy. The adsorption characteristics of the samples with respect to nitrogen and different dyes are determined, and the parameters of their porous structure are calculated. It is shown that the acid treatment of initial vermiculite drastically increases the content of silicon (in the form of amorphous silica), changes the layered structure of the silicate, and substantially enhances its specific surface area and pore volume.     

Validity of the Kelvin equation in estimation of small pore size by nitrogen adsorption

 We have investigated a practical lower limit of a pore-size estimation by the nitrogen desorption isotherms at 77 K using the Kelvin equation. Changes in pore size of porous silica glasses before and after the monolayer preadsorption of n-propylalcohol were estimated by measuring the nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms. These changes should correspond to the thickness of monolayer of adsorbed n-propylalcohol. The thickness of monolayers obtained for the samples whose pore sizes are below ca. 2 nm were underestimated, when the Kelvin equation was applied to the nitrogen desorption isotherms using the values of surface tension and molar volume of bulk liquid nitrogen at 77 K. Below ca. 2 nm pore radius a careful application of the Kelvin equation is required to estimate a pore size. These results suggest that a change in the physical properties of liquid nitrogen in such a small pore occurs. It is supposed that the interaction between the solid surface and adsorbate molecules causes the changes in the surface tension and density of liquid nitrogen in such a narrow pore. Received: 21 March 1997 Accepted: 18 July 1997     

Comparative study of acetic acid, methanol, and water adsorbed on anatase TiO2 probed by sum frequency generation spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy is used to investigate the surface adsorption of three probe molecules-acetic acid, methanol, and water--on a film composed of nanoscale anatase TiO(2) particles. On the TiO(2) surface, only one adsorption mode, chemisorption, is observed for acetic acid. This is evidenced by one sharp SFG peak in the C-H region, which is stable with time and robust both to evacuation and to the addition of water. A Langmuir constant of (9.21 +/- 0.71) x 10(3) is determined from the adsorption isotherm. In the case of methanol adsorption, however, there are two adsorption modes, molecular physisorption and dissociative chemisorption. The corresponding SFG signals are stable with time but diminished with addition of water. Changes in the SFG features for methanol and for the methoxy species with addition of water and subsequent evacuation provide the first experimental proof of reversible hydroxylation and dehydroxylation at the TiO(2) surface. For water adsorption, only one mode, physisorption, is observed on the hydroxylated TiO(2) surface. The water adlayer is mobile, as is evidenced by variation of the water H-bonded SFG signal with time. Competitive adsorption among the three molecular probes is clearly resolved by in situ SFG measurements. The adsorption strength follows the order acetic acid (strongest), methanol, water (weakest). The adsorption order as well as the difference in response of methanol versus acetic acid adsorption to addition of water has direct implications for understanding TiO(2) photocatalysis as well as the surface modifications involved in TiO(2) photoelectrochemical solar cells and processes in TiO(2) nanomaterial synthesis and assembly.     

Molecular simulation study on adsorption of methanol/water mixtures in mesoporous silicas modified pore surface silylation

Two types of molecular simulation techniques have been utilized to investigate adsorption of methanol/water mixtures in a mesoporous silica with a hydrophobic pore surface: the NVT-ensemble Molecular Dynamics method with the melt-quench algorithm for modeling a fully-silylated mesoporous silica and the μVT-ensemble Orientaional-Biased Monte Carlo method for calculating adsorption isotherms. Adsorption isotherms of methanol and water at 333 K are calculated for an equi-relative-pressure mixture (each component has the same relative pressure which is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure to the saturation pressure of the pure gas) together with pure gases. In the case of the pure gas, water hardly adsorb even at elevated pressures, while the adsorption isotherm for methanol shows the condensable adsorption. On the other hand, in the case of the mixture, water molecules are substantially adsorbed along with methanol molecules, showing an isotherm representing the condensation mechanism. In addition, it is found that the separation factor of methanol to water is the highest in the case of monolayer adsorption from a liquid mixture.     

Comparative simulation study of nitrogen and ammonia adsorption on graphitized and nongraphitized carbon blacks

Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation is used to study the adsorption of nitrogen at 77 K and ammonia at 240 K to represent weakly polar and polar molecules, respectively, on infinite and finite graphite surfaces. These graphite surfaces were modeled with different percentages of carbons removed (defects) from the top graphite layer. Increasing the number of defects increases the adsorption and the isosteric heat of nitrogen at low pressure. At moderate pressures the amount adsorbed is less due to the disruption in the packing of the nitrogen in the first layer. In contrast, the adsorption of ammonia at all pressures is reduced as the percentage of defects is increased. This is due to the disruption in ammonia bonding caused by the defects. The condensation-like step change in the ammonia isotherm on the perfect graphite surface is not observed for any of these surfaces with defects even for the case of only 10% defects. At high percentage of defects the adsorption isotherm is close to Henry law behavior for much of the pressure range. The adsorption on finite surfaces shows that the amount adsorbed for both molecules decreases compared with that of the infinite surfaces, resulting from interaction potentials with the surface and other fluid molecules at the edge. The decrease is much greater for the ammonia adsorption because the bonding between ammonia molecules is disrupted, meaning that the adsorption cannot follow the mechanism of condensation seen for the infinite surface.     

Protein adsorption on the mesoporous molecular sieve silicate SBA-15: effects of pH and pore size

A mesoporous molecular sieve silicate, SBA-15, with three pore sizes (38.1 A, 77.3 A, and 240 A) has been synthesized using a non-ionic, tri-block copolymer as a template in a sol-gel method. The effects of synthesis conditions on the pore size and pore-size distribution of this adsorbent have been described. The adsorption of proteins on these crystalline, ordered, materials has been studied. The kinetics of adsorption and equilibrium capacity have been probed with three proteins of different dimensions. The effects of electrostatic interactions and protein size are illustrated. It has been shown that SBA-15 materials can be tailored to show size selectivity for proteins, and very high capacities (450 mg/g) can be obtained. Furthermore, the rates of adsorption are shown to be dependent on the pore size, protein structure and solution pH.     

Comparative study of adsorption and oxidation of formic acid and methanol on platinized electrodes in acidic solution

The results of a radio-and electrochemical study of the adsorption of HCOOH and CH₃OH and the oxidation of their chemisorption products on platinized electrode in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ have been presented and some remarks on the mechanism of the electrode processes have been given.It has been concluded that the rate determining step in adsorption of both fuels should be considered as charge transfer process. No heterogeneity of the platinum surface has been detected. It is supposed that the strongly bound intermediate is a composition of C_xOOH and CO radicals coupled by hydrogen bonding. Water molecules adsorbed on the electrode surface are most likely the surface oxidant involved in the oxidation of the chemisorbed species.     

Matrix infrared study of the specific interactions between methanol and nitrogen,and methanol and carbon monoxide

The specific interactions (“complexations”) between N₂ or CO and protic molecules, especially alcohols, are discussed. The influence of the interaction of N₂ and CO on the νOH, δOH, νCO and τOH bands of methanol were studied by recording the i.r. spectrum of methanol in N₂, CO and mixed Ar/N₂ and Ar/CO matrices; shifts of these bands from the argon values were larger in some of the mixed matrices than in pure N₂ or CO. All of these four bands are split by 2% of CO in Ar. The influence of N₂ and CO on the shift of the τOH band from the argon value was found to be smaller for methanol than for other alcohols. In contrast to argon, the τOH band is intense in pure N₂ and CO and is symmetric and considerably temperature dependent, especially in pure CO.     

Chromatography in pore networks II — The role of structure and adsorption in the band broadening

Summary The complex intraparticle structure typical of chromatographic column packings has been analyzed by use of an equivalent network model which emphasizes pore size distribution and connectivity. Special attention is given as to the way in which diffusion and adsorption interact and display modified peak spreading characteristics according to the morphology of the pore space. This study reveals a very significant increase in the column band broadening over that expected from physical adsorption which can arise from particular distributions of pore sizes. This has implications for designing packings which take advantage of the separating power due to adsorption but do not compromise the resolution of the chromatographic system.     

Calorimetric and IR-spectroscopic study of adsorption of methanol on zeolite-like aluminophosphates

Electrostatic properties of zeolite-like aluminophosphates are intermediate between those of zeolites and zeolite-like silica modifications. The adsorption measurements and IR spectroscopic investigations of the framework vibrations demonstrate that the number of the adsorption complexes of CH₃OH with Al atoms increases in the following order: AlPO₄-5 < AlPO₄-17 AlPO₄-18.The OH vibrations of methanol molecules in the first coordination sphere of the Al atoms are reflected in the IR spectra as an absorption band at 3200 cm^–1, which is not observed for the adsorption of CH₃OH on zeolites.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1937–1942, October, 1995.     

Infrared study of adsorption of methanol,deuterated methanol and ethylene on the surface of ZSM-5 type zeolite

The surface species resulting in exposing of the ZSM-5 zeolite at elevated temperatures to methanol, deuterated methanol or ethylene have been studied by IR method.The three-step adsorption at 150°, 300°, 420° C or one-step adsorption at 420° C have been carried out in order to prepare the samples for IR. In all cases the most prominent band appeared in the range 1495–1515 cm^?1; besides two bands at about 1470 and 1370 cm^?1 have been observed. On the basis of Greenler's results and of the shift values of the bands in our spectrum of adsorbed deuterated methanol it was supposed that the band 1495–1515 cm^?1 is due to the OCO group from the surface species. Moreover these species would involve both oxygen atoms from the surface of zeolite but not from OH groups of methanol.     

Quasi-equilibrium nitrogen adsorption gravimetry : comparison with volumetry for the determination of surface areas and pore size distributions

The comparison involves one gravimetric technique and two volumetric ones (either conventional or quasi-static). The samples used are a bronze powder (0.1 m²g⁻¹ only), a graphite powder (c.a. 10 m²g⁻¹, with a phase change of the nitrogen monolayer used as a sensitive thermometer) and two mesoporous silica gels (pore size c.a., 5.0 and 11.5 nm). Relative advantages of either technique are pointed out.     

Water properties in the super-salt-resistive gel probed by NMR and DSC

The so-called "super-salt-resistive gel", or poly(4-vinylphenol) (P4VPh) hydrogel, of different water contents ( H = 97-51%) was prepared by cross-linking with different amounts of ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether. 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the dynamic properties of water in the gel samples in terms of the spin-spin relaxation. The T2 values in those hydrogels were analyzed by assuming a two-component system, namely, T 2(long) and T2(short), and their fractions were obtained. In the higher water content region (75% < or = H < or = 97%), T2(long) for P4VPh gel was almost constant or even slightly increased with decreasing temperature. On the other hand, T2(long) for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) gel (80% < or = H < or = 96%) significantly decreased with decreasing temperature, showing a natural behavior for water mobility in common hydrogels. Water in P4VPh gels of lower water contents ( H = 70% and 51%) also showed intriguing behaviors: the T2 values are much larger than those of gels with higher water contents and decreased with decreasing temperature only in the lower temperature range (<10 degrees C). The fraction of T2(long) values of P4VPh gel showed another contrast to those of PVA gel; the latter decreased with decreasing water content (normal behavior), while in the former gel the highest fraction (ca. 60% at 20 degrees C) was observed for a sample with the lowest water content ( H = 51%). On the other hand, the results of DSC measurements for P4VPh gel were less specific than those of T2 and comparable to those of common hydrogels such as PVA; with decreasing water content, the total amounts of free water and freezable bound water per polymer mass (g/g) decreased, while the amount of nonfreezing water per polymer also decreased.     

Experimental study of the immiscible displacement of shear-thinning fluids in pore networks

The pore scale mechanisms and network scale transient pattern of the immiscible displacement of a shear-thinning nonwetting oil phase (NWP) by a Newtonian wetting aqueous phase (WP) are investigated. Visualization imbibition experiments are performed on transparent glass-etched pore networks at a constant unfavorable viscosity ratio and varying values of the capillary number (Ca), and equilibrium contact angle (theta(e)). Dispersions of ozokerite in paraffin oil are used as the shear-thinning NWP, and aqueous solutions of PEG colored with methylene blue are used as the Newtonian WP. At high Ca values, the tip splitting and lateral spreading of WP viscous fingers are suppressed; at intermediate Ca values, the primary viscous fingers expand laterally with the growth of smaller capillary fingers; at low Ca values, network spanning clusters of capillary fingers separated by hydraulically conductive noninvaded zones of NWP arise. The spatial distribution of the mobility of shear-thinning NWP over the pore network is very broad. Pore network regions of low NWP mobility are invaded through a precursor advancement/swelling mechanism even at relatively high Ca and theta(e) values; this mechanism leads to irregular interfacial configurations and retention of a substantial amount of NWP along pore walls; it becomes the dominant mechanism in displacements performed at low Ca and theta(e) values. The residual NWP saturation increases and the end WP relative permeability decreases as Ca increases and both become more sensitive to this parameter as the shear-thinning behavior strengthens. The shear-thinning NWP is primarily entrapped in individual pores of the network rather than in clusters of pores bypassed by the WP. At relatively high flow rates, the amplitude of the variations of pressure drop, caused by fluid redistribution in the pore network, increase with shear-thinning strengthening, whereas at low flow rates, the motion of stable and unstable menisci in pores is reflected in strong pressure drop fluctuations.     

Adsorption hysteresis of nitrogen and argon in pore networks and characterization of novel micro- and mesoporous silicas

We report results of nitrogen and argon adsorption experiments performed at 77.4 and 87.3 K on novel micro/mesoporous silica materials with morphologically different networks of mesopores embedded into microporous matrixes: SE3030 silica with worm-like cylindrical channels of mode diameter of approximately 95 angstroms, KLE silica with cage-like spheroidal pores of ca. 140 angstroms, KLE/IL silica with spheroidal pores of approximately 140 angstroms connected by cylindrical channels of approximately 26 angstroms, and, also for a comparison, on Vycor glass with a disordered network of pores of mode diameter of approximately 70 angstroms. We show that the type of hysteresis loop formed by adsorption/desorption isotherms is determined by different mechanisms of condensation and evaporation and depends upon the shape and size of pores. We demonstrate that adsorption experiments performed with different adsorptives allow for detecting and separating the effects of pore blocking/percolation and cavitation in the course of evaporation. The results confirm that cavitation-controlled evaporation occurs in ink-bottle pores with the neck size smaller than a certain critical value. In this case, the pressure of evaporation does not depend upon the neck size. In pores with larger necks, percolation-controlled evaporation occurs, as observed for nitrogen (at 77.4 K) and argon (at 87.3 K) on porous Vycor glass. We elaborate a novel hybrid nonlocal density functional theory (NLDFT) method for calculations of pore size distributions from adsorption isotherms in the entire range of micro- and mesopores. The NLDFT method, applied to the adsorption branch of the isotherm, takes into account the effect of delayed capillary condensation in pores of different geometries. The pore size data obtained by the NLDFT method for SE3030, KLE, and KLE/IL silicas agree with the data of SANS/SAXS techniques.     

Preparation,adsorption and recognition properties of uranyl ion-imprinted marine facultative fungus mainly modified by phytic acid and tetraethyl silicate

Uranyl ion-imprinted polymers (U(VI)-IIPs) were successfully prepared by combining phytic acid as the functional monomer, uranyl ion (UO₂²⁺) as the template, and tetraethyl silicate (TEOS) as the cross-linker with the marine facultative fungus Fusarium sp. #ZZF51 addicted to U (VI) mycelium through the ion-imprinted sol–gel method. Single-factor experiments were performed to optimize the preparation conditions and the prepared materials were better characterized with FTIR, SEM and BET meter. The optimum adsorption conditions were explored by single-factor experiments and BBD response surface method in detail. The adsorption–desorption recycling and adsorption selectivity experiments revealed that U(VI)-IIPs had a good stability and selectivity. The U (VI) adsorption process of U(VI)-IIPs was better described by the pseudo-second order kinetic equation and Langmuir isotherm model.     

Comparative study of adsorption and heats of adsorption on planar and particulate polymer surfaces

The adsorption and heats of adsorption of Lewis acidic-basicprobes on planar and particulate surfaces of polyimide/siloxane, 6F photoimagable fluorinated polyimide and 6F polyimide have been studied by flow microcalorimetric, ellipsometric, and contact angle techniques. The heats of adsotption obtained by these techniques are in good agreement. It is noted that the ellipsometric method based on an analysis of adsorption kinetics has advantages over the contact angle technique and may be used for the study of the interface on planar polymer surfaces. The acidic-basic properties of polymers were approximately estimated by using the DragoE andC constants.     

Comparative characterization study of microporous carbons by HRTEM image analysis and gas adsorption

The present work presents a useful comparison of micropore size distributions (MPSDs) obtained from gas adsorption and image analysis of high-resolution transmission electron micrographs. It is shown that the MPSD obtained for a chemical activated carbon is concordant with that obtained from CO2 adsorption. In addition, this technique has allowed us to obtain the MPSD of a carbon molecular sieve (CMS) prepared in our laboratory by a copyrolysis process, which could only be characterized by CO2 adsorption at 273 K (not by N2 adsorption at 77 K due to diffusional problems). The MPSD obtained by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) for the CMS is wider than that obtained by CO2 adsorption, suggesting that HRTEM is detecting the closed porosity existing in this sample, which is not accessible to gas adsorption. The existence of closed porosity in the CMS is explained considering the preparation method used. Thus, HRTEM combined with image analysis seems to be useful for structural analysis of narrow micropores including closed porosity.     

Communication: Reactions and adsorption at the surface of silver nanoparticles probed by second harmonic generation

Even though nanoparticles have dimensions much smaller than the optical wavelength and shapes commonly with inversion symmetry, we show, for the first time, direct experimental evidence that second harmonic generation (SHG) can be detected from the surface layer of metallic nanoparticles, in this case 40 nm radius Ag particles. The SH intensity detected is shown to substantially decrease upon chemical bonding of thiol molecules to the Ag particle surface. The surface generated SH intensity can be used for probing properties and processes at the nanoparticle surface.     

Thermochemical properties of the ammonia-water ionized dimer probed by ion-molecule reactions

The thermochemical properties of some small clusters such as the (H2O)2*+ dimer have already been investigated by both experimental and theoretical methods. The recent method to selectively prepare the ammonia-water ionized dimer [NH3, H2O]*+ (and not its proton transfer isomer [NH4+, OH*]) allowed us to study its chemical reactivity. This study focuses on the charge and proton transfer pathways: Ion-molecule reactions in the cell of an FT-ICR mass spectrometer were carried out with a range of organic compounds. Examination of the reactivity of the [NH3, H2O]*+ ionized dimer versus ionization energy and proton affinity of the neutral reagents shows a threshold in the reactivity in both instances. This leads to a bracketing of thermochemical properties related to the dimer. From these experiments and in agreement with ab initio calculations, the adiabatic recombination energy of the [NH3, H2O]*+ dimer was evaluated at -9.38 +/- 0.04 eV. The proton affinity bracketing required the reevaluation of two reference gas-phase basicity values. The results, in good agreement with the calculation, lead to an evaluation of the proton affinity of the [NH2*, H2O] dimer at 204.4 +/- 0.9 kcal mol(-1). These two experimental values are respectively related to the ionization energy of NH3*+ and to the proton affinity of NH2* by the difference in single water molecule solvation energies of ionized ammonia, of neutral ammonia, and of the NH2* radical.