Spontaneous ionization of N-alkylphenothiazine molecules adsorbed in channel-type zeolites: effects of alkyl chain length and confinement on electron transfer

The mere mixing of N-alkylphenothiazines with three channel-type acid zeolites with various structures (ferrierite, H-MFI, and mordenite) induces the spontaneous ionization of the heterocyclic molecule in high yield upon adsorption. The diffuse reflectance UV-visible absorption and Raman scattering spectra show that the accessibility of the highly polarizing acid sites is not indispensable to induce the spontaneous ionization process. Due to their particularly low ionization potential values (6.7 eV), the adsorption of the molecules on the external surface or in the inner volume is the key parameter to generate the radical cation. However, the ionization yield and charge stabilization are intimately correlated to the possibility of the zeolites accommodating molecules inside their channels. Moreover, the higher electrostatic field gradient induced by high confinement is required to favor the second ionization and dication formation. The alkyl chain length plays a decisive role by either slowing down the diffusion process or blocking the molecule at the pore entry. Therefore, the efficiency of the ionization process that depends on the number of adsorbed molecules decreases significantly from phenothiazine to the N-alkylphenothiazines. The spectral data demonstrate that deformation of the alkyl group is necessary to allow the diffusion of the molecules into the channels.     

The adsorption of CaOH+ on (001) basal and (010) edge surface of Na‐montmorillonite: a DFT study

Ca²⁺ cations were generally added to facilitate the coagulation of stable fine clay mineral dispersion due to the specific adsorption of their first hydrolysis CaOH⁺ species at pH near 10. The adsorption of CaOH⁺ on dry and hydrated (001) basal surface and (010) surface of Na‐montmorillonite was investigated by using density functional theory method combined with the periodic slab model method. The adsorption energies and geometries, Mulliken charge, electron density difference, and density of state were presented and discussed. It was found that the adsorption energy of CaOH⁺ on (010) edge surface of Na‐montmorillonite (?328.8 kJ/mol) was much larger than that (?126.9 kJ/mol) on (001) basal surface. The presence of waters could increase the adsorption energy of CaOH⁺ on (001) surface but affect that on (010) surface slightly. The protons in Si–OH and Al–OH₂ groups as well as the OH₂ ligands in Al–OH₂ group on (010) edge surface were easily dissociated and coordinated to CaOH⁺ to form new waters. CaOH⁺ was the most steady adsorption species among CaOH⁺, Ca²⁺ cation, and H₂O molecule on both (001) and (010) surfaces. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.