A coupled electron diffraction and rigid unit mode (RUM) study of the crystal chemistry of some zeotypic AlPO4 compounds

Electron diffraction and lattice dynamical calculations are used to investigate the unit cells, space group symmetries and inherent displacive flexibility of the room-temperature average structures of AlPO₄-8, AlPO₄-16 and AlPO₄-tridymite. The zero-frequency rigid unit modes (RUMs) of the idealized high-symmetry polymorphs thereof are also investigated along with their relationship to the lower-temperature polymorphism of these zeotypic aluminophosphates. The clear presence of satellite reflections in addition to the Bragg reflections (G) of the underlying Cmc2₁ parent structure in the case of AlPO₄-8 shows that the true unit cell of the room-temperature polymorph has a doubled c-axis due to a condensed RUM mode. Structured diffuse scattering is also observed which can be related to the thermal excitation of RUM modes. In the case of AlPO₄-tridymite, a complex F1 triclinic polymorph is observed and related to soft RUM modes while, in the case of AlPO₄-16, a soft q=0 RUM mode is shown to be responsible for an observed phase transition in the case of the all SiO₂ analogue of AlPO₄-16. A large number of additional zero-frequency RUM modes also exist in the case of AlPO₄-16.     

An analytical solution for the zero frequency hyperbolic RUM modes of distortion of SiO2-tridymite

The constraint equations controlling the existence of soft, Rigid Unit Mode (RUM) modes of distortion of the ideal tridymite tetrahedral framework structure are derived and used to obtain an analytical solution for the potential soft phonon mode wave-vectors and their associated displacement patterns. One of two types of RUM known to exist are characterized by modulation wave-vectors perpendicular to 〈110〉 and atomic displacement patterns involving tetrahedral edge rotation while a second type of RUM is found to be soft on a hyperbolic reciprocal space distribution and to involve tetrahedral rotation about in-plane rotation axes. The analytical form of this hyperbolic diffuse distribution is derived as is an analytical expression for the associated RUM eigenvector of each point on the diffuse distribution.     

Adsorption of nitrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, and their binary mixtures on aluminophosphate molecular sieves

Experimental isotherms describing the adsorption of pure N₂, CH₄ and CO in AlPO₄-11, AlPO₄-17, and AlPO₄-18 were determined using the volumetric method at 40°C and at 23°C (AlPO₄-11 only) over a pressure range up to 123 kPa, and subsequently fitted with the Langmuir or Freundlich equations, as well as the Flory-Huggins Vacancy Solution Theory equation. The capacities for the adsorbates investigated were found to depend on the geometry of the sieve pore size, as well as the molecular dimensions and the polority of the adsorbate involved. At 40°C and over the investigated pressure range, AlPO₄-11 and AlPO₄-17 adsorbed pure CH₄ in the highest amounts, while AlPO₄-18 had a slightly higher capacity for pure CO. The model parameters obtained by fitting the experimental pure-component isotherms permitted the prediction of binary adsorption information for the CO−N₂, CH₄−CO, and CH₄−N₂ gas mixtures at 101.3 kPa total pressure, using the Extended Langmuir Model, the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory, and/or the Flory-Huggins Vacancy Solution Theory for mixtures. An explanation of the behaviour predicted by each model for each adsorption system is attempted.     

Catalytic behaviour of Pt loaded on AlPO4-5 and AlPO4-11 in the aromatization of C6?C8 alkanes

Pt/AlPO₄-5 and Pt/AlPO₄-11 showed some characteristics of monofunctional aromatization catalysts and higher aromatic selectivity inn-heptane aromatization than inn-hexane aromatization. Especially they exhibited resistance for thiophene poisoning.     

Structural disorder along the lithium diffusion pathway in cubically stabilized lithium manganese spinel: I. Synchrotron X-ray studies

Electron density distribution, EXAFS, and transmission electron microscope studies on stoichiometric Li(Mg_1/6Mn_11/6)O₄ have revealed that: (1) the structure is essentially of spinel-type with slight diffuse scattering, (2) the Li atoms are not all located at the ideal 8a site of the spinel structure, but are partially tetrahedrally distributed along the 8a-16c tie line, (3) the O atoms also exhibit a statistical distribution about their ideal positions and (4) the Mn 3d electrons are squeezed out toward the open space of the coordinating octahedra with D_3d distortion. The present results indicate the possible existence of many metastable Li positions in the structure, suggestive of complicated Li atom hopping routes in conjunction with a local distortion of neighboring atoms at least up to the second shell.     

Isomerization of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene over aluminum and chromium orthophosphates

The skeletal isomerization of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene over AlPO₄ (Al/P=1), CrPO₄ (Cr/P=1), and CrPO₄−AlPO₄ (CrAlP, 5–10 wt.% AlPO₄) catalysts is a first order reaction. Catalytic performance is affected by the precipitation agent. CrPO₄ catalysts obtained in propylene oxide-aqueous ammonia showed the highest activity. Moreover, the incorporation of AlPO₄ to CrPO₄ developed CrAlP catalysts that exhibited increased activity, irrespective of the precipitation method, as compared with both AlPO₄ and CrPO₄ catalysts. Besides, CrAlP catalysts prepared in propylene oxide-aqueous ammonia were the more active ones.     

Gas-phase phenyl acetate conversion on AlPO4, γ-Al2O3 and SiO2 catalysts

The conversion of phenyl acetate over AlPO₄ (Al/P=1), γ-Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ catalysts generated phenol, by deacetylation, ando-hydroxycetophenone, by Fries rearrangement, as the main reaction products. The activity for Fries rerrangement was in accordance with the acidity data measuredversus cyclohexene skeletal isomerization. Thus, AlPO₄ showed the highest activity. Moreover,o-hydroxy-acetophenone formation increased with the reaction temperature. Besides, in AlPO₄ catalysts 4-methylcoumarin and 2-methylchromone were also found, although in low amounts.     

Effect of support and cobalt precursors on the activity of Co/AlPO4 catalysts in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

Cobalt supported on amorphous aluminum phosphate (Co/AlPO₄) catalysts were prepared by the impregnation method using three different cobalt precursors such as cobalt nitrate, acetate and chloride to elucidate the activity of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. The use of AlPO₄ as a support for cobalt-based catalysts exhibits better catalytic performance during FTS reaction than the corresponding Co/Al₂O₃ catalyst. TPR results also suggest that the reducibility of the catalysts varies with the nature of cobalt precursors employed during the impregnation on AlPO₄ support. The Co/AlPO₄ catalyst prepared from cobalt nitrate shows higher CO conversion and C₈+ selectivity than the others due to the facile formation of homogeneous cobalt particles with proper electronic characters and high reducibility. Interestingly, all Co/AlPO₄ showed a growth of filamentous carbon initiated from the large mobile cobalt particles during the reaction. The differences in catalytic properties of Co/AlPO₄ are mainly attributed to the cobalt particle size, reducibility with different electronic states of metallic cobalt, pore diameter of AlPO₄ and formation of filamentous carbon.     

Host-Guest Interactions and Laser Activity in AlPO4-5/Laser Dye Composites

In situ inclusion of the laser dyes coumarin 466, coumarin 7, pyridine 2 and DCM has been conducted successfully in AlPO₄-5 crystals. The charged molecule pyridine 2 interacts with the framework and leads to bundle-like morphologies with increasing dye content. Uncharged molecules (DCM, coumarin 7, coumarin 466) are included, although corresponding molecular dimensions are exceeding pore size. These dyes probably induce local defects in the pore walls of AlPO₄-5 which are healed during crystal growth leading to well-developed hexagonal prisms. Spectroscopic studies show interactions of the dyes with the solid-state matrix which are reflected by shifts of absorption and emission maxima of the dyes. For the first time, laser activity is demonstrated on a perfect hexagonal single AlPO₄-5/DCM crystal.     

Two forms of aluminium phosphate tridymite from X‐ray powder data

Monoclinic and triclinic (pseudo‐orthorhombic) AlPO₄ tridymites have been refined from X‐ray powder diffraction data using the silica analogues as starting models. The framework structures of both forms of tridymite are made up of six‐membered rings of tetrahedra which differ in the distortion patterns of the ring shapes. Ordered occupation of alternate tetrahedra by Al and P leads to a doubling of the a lattice parameter for monoclinic AlPO₄ tridymite (space group Pc) and loss of the C‐centring with respect to the isotypic silica tridymite (space group Cc). Triclinic AlPO₄ tridymite was refined in the same space group (F1) as the SiO₂ analogue.     

Alkylation of phenol with dimethyl carbonate over AlPO4, Al2O3 and AlPO4-Al2O3 catalysts

The vapor-phase catalytic alkylation of phenol with dimethyl carbonate over different AlPO₄ (Al/P=1), Al₂O₃ and AlPO₄-Al₂O₃ (5–25 wt.% Al₂O₃) catalysts produces anisole (O-alkylation) as the major reaction product althougho-cresol (C-alkylation) and methylanisoles were also found. The reaction is first order in phenol while O-and C-alkylation follow parallel processes. As compared with methanol, DMC is far more effective as a methylating agent, and the methylation proceeds at a lower temperature and with higher O-alkylation selectivity.     

2-Methyl-3-butyn-2-ol conversion on AlPO4-cesium oxide (20 wt.%) catalysts obtained by impregnation with cesium chloride

2-Methyl-3-butyn-2-ol underwent almost exclusively dehydration to 3-methyl-3-buten-1-yne (acid activity) on pure AlPO₄, whereas its modification with cesium oxide developed AlPO₄-based materials with increased basic properties and hence, high selectivities to the base-catalyzed cleavage of MBOH yielding acetone and acetylene. At the same conversion level, catalysts obtained from cesium chloride exhibit higher selectivities to the base-catalyzed process than those obtained from cesium acetate.     

Ortho-selectivity in aluminophosphate molecular sieves: A molecular simulation study

Monte Carlo adsorption simulations of xylenes have been performed in aluminophosphate molecular sieve structures. A new force field fitted for o-xylene in AlPO₄-5 was used. It is shown that force fields have good transferability among the aluminophosphate sieves series and the new force field adequately describes the experimentally observed adsorption isotherms for xylene/AlPO₄-5. A previous investigation of adsorption isotherms and structural analysis has been extended to AlPO₄-8 and VPI-5 sieves. In AlPO₄-8, like in AlPO₄-5, the variations in the channels diameters and the corresponding interaction energy of the molecule-crystal lattice drive all molecular positioning. In VPI-5, the modulation between wide and narrow regions becomes negligible due to the larger pore diameter, so no ortho-selectivity was observed. The simulations confirm the ortho-selectivity mechanism proposed to aluminophosphates.     

Study of acid-base properties of a SiO2?AlPO4 (80∶20 W/W) catalyst

2-Methyl-3-butyn-2-ol (MBOH) transformation was used as a test reaction in order to determine the acid-base properties of a SiO₂/AlPO₄ (80∶20 w/w) catalyst. Experiments were carried out in a microcatalytic pulse reactor and in a continuous-flow reactorvia Temperature Programmed Surface Reactions-Mass Spectrometry (TPSR-MS). Results are compared to acid-base properties calculated by other instrumental techniques.     

Thermal stability of V-loaded AlPO4-5 materials

A progressive sintering of the porosity of both V-free and V-loaded AlPO₄-5 samples is observed upon calcination in air at increasing temperatures. This sintering leads to the coexistence of porous AlPO₄-5 and dense tridymite. As established by cristallinity and pore volume measurements. the presence of vanadium decreases by 100 to 300°C the threshold temperature at which this sintering begins, in spite of the low V amount in the samples (V/(V+Al+P) atomic ratio of 0.5–1%). This threshold temperature depends on the method used to introduce V (by hydrothermal synthesis, under static conditions or agitation, and/or by grinding vanadia with a V-free AlPO₄-5) and on the morphology of the AlPO₄-5 crystals as observed by scanning electron microscopy. These factors are related to the dispersion of the V species within the porosity. Since only very small amounts of intraporosity V^IV species (V^IV/V_T<1%) are detected by ESR, whatever the extent of the Sintering which generates tridymite, it is concluded that the thermal stability of V-loaded AlPO₄-5 is determined by the dispersion of V^v species within the porosity. This conclusion is in line with earlier propositions made to explain the thermal behaviour of V-loaded zeolites and V-contamined FCC catalysts.     

Synthesis and adsorption properties of zeolite-like aluminophosphates

Zeolite-like aluminophosphates AlPO₄-5, AlPO₄-18, and AlPO₄-20, were prepared in conditions which differ from those described in the literature. The adsorption isotherms of H₂O, CH₃OH, n-C₄H₉OH, and i-C₄H₄₉OH at 18°C and Ar at –196°C were investigated. The observed molecular-sieve effect is in agreement with the concepts on the structure of these aluminophosphates. An unusual shape of the water adsorption isotherms was observed. Similarities were observed in the isobaric absorption of water molecules by crystal hydrates and the zeolite-like aluminophosphates.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2409–2414, November, 1989.     

Adsorption characteristics and surface free energy of AlPO4-5

The micropores and surface characteristics of aluminophosphate-type zeolite, AlPO₄-5, were analyzed by examining the adsorption behavior of water and other adsorbates. Water adsorption on AlPO₄-5 occurred on both structural defects and nonpolar surfaces. Adsorption on structural defects, accompanied by high heats of adsorption, is attributed to adsorption to surface hydroxyls. Water adsorption increased steeply at a certain relative pressure depending on the adsorption temperature, and this was considered attributable to capillary condensation. The contact angle of water on AlPO₄-5 micropore surfaces can be determined quantitatively by applying the Kelvin equation. The surface free energy of AlPO₄-5 calculated on the basis of the contact angle was revealed to be about 120 mJ/m², in agreement with accepted values of the dispersion component of the surface free energy of metal oxides. Adsorption heat values of adsorbates with different polarities indicate that the AlPO₄-5 surface is essentially nonpolar and interacts only with dispersion interaction. In the case of n-hexane the contact angle was assumed to be zero, showing high affinity with the result of enhanced adsorption due to pore filling. Received: 21 May 1998 Accepted: 28 July 1998     

Dehydration-dehydrogenation of 1-phenylethanol over acid-basic catalysts

1-Phenylethanol transformation over several oxide catalysts (MgO, MgO-B₂O₃, ZrO₂, AlPO₄-SiO₂ and a Spanish sepiolite of Vallecas) was used as test reaction to determine their acid-basic properties. Different kinds of surface sites are proposed for dehydration and dehydrogenation processes. Thus, strong basic sites are related to the dehydrogenation process while both weak acid and basic sites are responsible for that of dehydration.     

Monte Carlo and energy minimization studies of binary xylene adsorption in AEL and AFI networks

Adsorption of binary xylene mixtures in AEL and AFI networks was investigated using normal and biased GCMC simulations. Preferential o-xylene adsorption was evidenced in the simulations, as previously reported in single-component experimental data. In contrast to the FAU and MFI sieves, the AEL and AFI networks exhibit surprising azeotropic behavior. The selectivity switches from o-xylene to p-xylene at a gas phase mole fraction of ca. 0.5. Energy minimization was performed in the AlPO₄-11 molecular sieve to determine the energy differences between the adsorption sites. The minimization study showed that AlPO₄-11 has small adsorption energy differences between sites. The azeotropic behavior of the AEL and AFI networks can be explained using the two patch model proposed by Do and Do (Adsorption 5:319–329, 1999).     

Raman scattering study on pressure-induced phase transformation of marokite (CaMn2O4)

An in-situ Raman Spectroscopic study was conducted to explore the pressure-induced phase transformation of CaMn₂O₄ to pressures of 73.7 GPa. Group theory yields 24 Raman active modes for CaMn₂O_4, of which 20 are observed at ambient conditions. With the slight compression below 5 GPa, the pressure-induced contraction compensates the structural distortion induced by a Jahn–Teller (JT) effect, resulting in the occurrence of the zero pressure shifts of the JT-related Raman modes. Upon elevation of pressure to nearby 35 GPa, these Raman modes start to display a significant variation in pressure shift, implying the appearance of a pressure-induced phase transformation. Group factor analyses on all possible structure polymorphs indicate that the high-pressure phase is preferentially assigned to an orthorhombic structure, having the CaTi₂O₄ structure. The cooperative JT distortion is continuously reduced in the CaMn₂O₄ polymorph up to 35 GPa. Beyond 35 GPa, it is found that the JT effect was completely suppressed by pressure in the newly formed high-pressure phase. Upon release of pressure, this high-pressure phase transforms to the original CaMn₂O₄ phase, and continuously remains stable to ambient conditions.