Capillary condensation in a disordered mesoporous medium: a grand canonical Monte Carlo study

The adsorption of rare gases in a disordered mesoporous silica glass has been studied by means of grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation. A series of porous samples has been obtained by using an off-lattice 3D reconstruction method recently introduced to reproduce topological and morphological properties of correlated disordered porous materials such as Vycor. The off-lattice functional of 115m²g^?1 Vycor is applied to a simulation box containing silicon and oxygen atoms of cubic cristoballite with a homothetic reduction in order to obtain porous samples with mean pore size around 35 Å and specific surface around 220 m² g^?1. A realistic surface chemistry is then obtained by saturating all the dangling oxygen bonds with hydrogen. Some topological properties of the different 3D reconstructions of the Vycor-like material are analysed using chord length distributions and small angle scattering data. The GCMC Ar, Kr and Xe adsorption/desorption isotherms are calculated at different temperatures. At sufficiently low temperatures, they exhibit a capillary condensation transition with an adsorption branch having a finite slope accompanied by a hysteresis loop upon desorption. It has been shown on a set of simulated argon isotherms, that evolution with temperature of the GCMC results is similar to experiment. At the temperature at which the hysteresis loop disappears, it was found that the compressibility of the dense liquid-like phase at the maximum of the so-called hysteretic coexistence curves increases significantly. In the low pressure and temperature domain, different adsorption scenarios can be interpreted on the basis of a Zisman-type of criterion for wetting. The BET surface area is shown to be strongly related to this criterion. At higher pressure, it was found that the pore size distribution obtained by using the standard BJH analysis applied to both simulated adsorption and desorption data qualitatively reproduces the main features of the chord length distribution.     

爆轰裂解法制备纳米石墨粉的吸附性能研究(英文)

在酸含量不同的原材料中,通过爆轰的方法制备纳米石墨粉,并利用BET方程以及BJ H方法对所得纳米石墨粉进行比表面积和孔径分布分析。分析结果表明,所得爆轰产物中有的比表面积大致为天然鳞片石墨的5.3~9.2倍,而且随酸含量的增大逐渐增大,产物的等温线中存在吸附滞后现象。其中,增大的比表面积主要由分布在3 nm至7 nm之间的孔引起的,而且在爆轰后,孔径4 nm左右的孔,其数量达到最大值。通过对纳米石墨粉的研究,分析了酸在爆轰过程中的积极作用,并为纳米石墨粉的进一步应用提供了结构信息。     

Water confined in mesoporous silica glasses: Influence of temperature on adsorption/desorption hysteresis loop and fluid structure

In natural as well as industrial processes, water is frequently confined in silica porous materials with pore sizes in the nanometer scale. Understanding the confinement effects on the fluid properties is a fundamental issue, helpful to optimize the industrial processes. The molecular simulation is a powerful tool to study complex polar fluid like water at the atomic scale. The water adsorption/desorption properties in a mesoporous silica glass are investigated by means of Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations (GCMC). The SPC and PN TrAZ potential are used to describe water-water and water-silica interactions. The numerical sample of mesoporous silica glass (pore size: 3.6nm) was obtained by off-lattice reconstruction, known to reproduce in a realistic way the geometrical complexity of high specific surface Vycor (pore size distribution, pore interconnections, etc). The intermolecular potential is shown to reproduce the experimental data at 300K (adsorption isotherm and isosteric heat of adsorption). The water structure is analyzed and confinement effects are emphasized. The temperature influence is studied: the hysteresis loop is shown to shrink with an increase in temperature.     

爆轰裂解法制备纳米石墨粉的吸附性能研究

 在酸含量不同的原材料中,通过爆轰的方法制备纳米石墨粉,并利用BET方程以及BJH方法对所得纳米石墨粉进行比表面积和孔径分布分析。分析结果表明,所得爆轰产物中有的比表面积大致为天然鳞片石墨的5.3~9.2倍,而且随酸含量的增大逐渐增大,产物的等温线中存在吸附滞后现象。其中,增大的比表面积主要由分布在3 nm至7 nm之间的孔引起的,而且在爆轰后,孔径4 nm左右的孔,其数量达到最大值。通过对纳米石墨粉的研究,分析了酸在爆轰过程中的积极作用,并为纳米石墨粉的进一步应用提供了结构信息。     

The effects of curvature and surface heterogeneity on the adsorption of water in finite length carbon nanopores: a computer simulation study

The effects of pore curvature and surface heterogeneity on the adsorption of water on a graphitic surface at 298 K were investigated using a Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation. Slit and cylindrical pores are used to study the curvature effects. To investigate the surface heterogeneity the functional group and the structural defect on the surface were specifically considered. The hydroxyl group (OH) is used as a model for the functional group and the water potential model proposed by Müller et al. is used to calculate the water interaction. For the homogeneous cylinder, the pore filling occurs at a pressure lower than the saturation pressure of the water model, while it is greater in the case of homogeneous slit pore. The size of hysteresis loop is more sensitive to the length of cylinder than that of the slit, and it increases with decreasing pore length. The isotherms of water in cylindrical pores are found to depend on the position and the concentration of the functional group. The pore filling pressure is lower with an increased number and/or with the position of the functional group. The structural defect shows significant effects on the adsorption isotherm in shifting to a lower pore filling pressure when it is located at a position away from the pore entrance. The adsorption of water on the heterogeneous surface was studied and it was found that the simulated isotherm can describe the behaviour of water on Graphitized Thermal Carbon Black (GTCB) satisfactorily. The water cluster grows mostly along the surface for the case of finite extent surface, while for the slit the pore grows in all directions but the preference is a direction perpendicular to the pore wall. Reasons for the direction of growth will be discussed.     

BET surface area of carbonaceous adsorbents—Verification using geometric considerations and GCMC simulations on virtual porous carbon models

The applicability of BET model for calculation of surface area of activated carbons is checked by using molecular simulations. By calculation of geometric surface areas for the simple model carbon slit-like pore with the increasing width, and by comparison of the obtained values with those for the same systems from the VEGA ZZ package (adsorbate-accessible molecular surface), it is shown that the latter methods provide correct values. For the system where a monolayer inside a pore is created the ASA approach (GCMC, Ar, T = 87 K) underestimates the value of surface area for micropores (especially, where only one layer is observed and/or two layers of adsorbed Ar are formed). Therefore, we propose the modification of this method based on searching the relationship between the pore diameter and the number of layers in a pore. Finally BET; original and modified ASA; and A, B and C-point surface areas are calculated for a series of virtual porous carbons using simulated Ar adsorption isotherms (GCMC and T = 87 K). The comparison of results shows that the BET method underestimates and not, as it was usually postulated, overestimates the surface areas of microporous carbons.     

Confinement effect on thermodynamic and structural properties of water in hydrophilic mesoporous silica

The adsorption of water on porous silica surfaces at 300 K, has been qualitatively reproduced by Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations (GCMC) without any adjustment of adsorbate/substrate potential parameter. The simulated adsorption isotherm and isosteric differential enthalpy of adsorption compare well to experimental data for Vycor, showing the ability of the model in describing hydrophilic properties of silica surfaces. The analysis of fluid structure in the mesoporous glass gives detailed insights into confinement and disorder effects on water adsorbed on the hydrophilic surface of a porous glass. It is shown that hydrophilic properties are not simply related to surface hydroxyl density but are also related to local structure of the silica surface.     

Water in porous glasses. A computer simulation study

We report molecular dynamics simulations of water confined in a cylindrical silica pore. The pore geometry and size is similar to that of typical pores in porous Vycor glass. In the present study we focus on the dependence of microscopical structural and dynamical properties on the degree of hydration of the pore. We have performed five simulations of systems between 19 and 96 % hydration. In all cases, water adsorbs strongly on the pore surface, clearly demonstrating the hydrophilic nature of the Vycor surface. Two layers of water molecules are affected strongly by the interactions with the glass surface. With decreasing degree of hydration an increasing volume in the center of the pore is devoid of water molecules. At 96 % hydration the center is a continuous and homogeneous region that has, however, a lower density than bulk water at ambient conditions. A well-pronounced mobility profile exists, where molecules in the center of the pores have substantially higher self diffusion coefficients than molecules on the pore surface. The spectral densities of center of mass and hydrogen atom motion show the signature of confinement for the molecules close to the pore surface, while the spectral densities in the center of the pore are similar to those in bulk water. The molecular dynamics results are in good agreement with recent experiments. Our data indicate that the dependence of experimental data on the level of hydration of the Vycor sample is due to the different relative contribution of molecules adsorbed on the pore surface and bulk-like molecules in the interior of the pore to the experimental averages.     

Evaluation of adsorption energy distribution of microporous materials by a multivariant identification

The applicability of new BET-like adsorption models (uLBET and LBET formulas) for the examination of microporous materials of irregular structure is discussed. The models are intended to handle the main effects of random pore geometry on the adsorption isotherm shape. They are based on a generalized BET theory and employ simple (but realistic) adsorption energy-pore geometry relationships. To overcome numerical problems inherent in fitting any more advanced adsorption model, a multivariant identification procedure is proposed with a subset of parameters being fixed in each variant. The reliability assessment of the system parameters evaluation is stressed. The paper outlines formal and numerical bounds for adsorption measurements-based identifiability of irregular porous structures. The LBET-type formulas are recommended for the examination of such materials, as a relatively simple alternative versus DFT-based techniques. Numerous simulation results and exemplary examinations of an empirical isotherm are discussed.     

Equilibrium partitioning of a simple fluid in a matrix-filled cylindrical pores with adsorbing walls: A grand canonical Monte Carlo study

We have studied a model of a hard sphere fluid adsorbed in a cylindrical pore filled with quenched disordered matrix of hard sphere particles using Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. The interactions between matrix species and pore walls are assumed of a hard sphere type. However, the pore walls exert a short-range attraction upon adsorbed fluid particles. We discuss the adsorption isotherms and the density profiles of fluid particles in pores with different microporosity for several values of the pore radius. We have observed that like in homogeneous microporous media the adsorption increases with increasing porosity. However, trends of behavior of the isotherms also reflect layering of adsorbed fluid. The data obtained in this study may serve as a benchmark for the development of the theory of confined quenched-annealed systems and for computer simulation investigation of models permitting phase transitions in pores. This project has been supported in parts by DGAPA of the UNAM under research grant IN111597, by the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT), grant No. 25301-E.     

O_2/CO_2气氛燃煤半焦孔隙特性分析

在沉降炉上制备了不同燃烧气氛、不同燃尽程度的半焦,采用低温氮吸附仪和扫描电子显微镜测定了其孔隙结构和表面形态.结果表明,所取的半焦试样均具有完整且连续的孔结构体系;但在相同的操作条件下,O_2/CO_2气氛下半焦试样的孔结构参数及其分形维数均小于相同O_2浓度的O_2/N_2气氛下的情况;两种气氛下煤焦的燃尽过程中,孔隙结构参数(S_(BET)、V_(BJH)和d_(pore))随燃尽率的增加均呈减小趋势;SEM图像的定性分析结果与N_2吸附的定量测量吻合较好.研究结果为深入认识O_2/CO_2气氛下煤粉的孔隙结构与其燃烧特性的关系提供了基础.     

Structure of porous vycor glass and its adsorption characteristics of water —An application of positron annihilation method

Positron lifetimes in porous Vycor glass have been measured. There are four lifetime components, and the fourth component has been assigned too-Ps annihilation in large pores of radius 34 Å. The intensityI ₄ has been correlated to a specific surface area, but the value obtained fromI ₄ by the Monte Carlo method is smaller than that obtained by the BET method. From variations in (τ₄,I ₄) against the kinetics of adsorption of water vapor, a rough picture of water adsorption is presented.     

Preparation of activated carbon from Enteromorpha prolifera and its use on cationic red X-GRL removal

Enteromorpha prolifera was pyrolyzed to prepare activated carbon using chemical activation by zinc chloride. The effect of activation parameters such as activation temperature, weight ratio (Enteromorpha prolifera to ZnCl₂), and activation time was investigated. The BET results showed that the surface area and pore volume of activated carbons were achieved as high as 1722 m²/g and 1.11 cm³/g, respectively, in the optimal activation conditions. Batch adsorption studies were carried out to study the adsorption properties of cationic red X-GRL onto activated carbon by varying the parameters like initial solution pH, contact time, and temperature. The kinetic studies showed that the adsorption data followed a pseudo second-order model. The isotherm analysis indicated that the adsorption data could be represented by the Langmuir isotherm model. The Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity of cationic red X-GRL was estimated as 263.16 mg/g at pH 6.0.     

Mobility transition of solid rare gases in confined environments

We report the results of x-ray diffraction and small angle scattering studies of Ar and Kr confined in sol-gel and Vycor glasses. The confined liquid crystallizes in a disordered hcp structure on freezing. Upon further cooling a sharp transition occurs at a reduced temperature of T/T(m) approximately 0.65, where the crystalline structure disappears and the total scattering decreases. This behavior marks the onset of a well-defined mobility transition, where the confined sample migrates out of the pore space.     

Effect of drying technique on the physicochemical properties of sodium silicate-based mesoporous precipitated silica

The conventional drying (oven drying) method used for the preparation of precipitated mesoporous silica with low surface area (>300 m²/g) and small pore volume is often associated with a high production cost and a time consuming process. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to develop a cost-effective and fast drying process for the production of precipitated mesoporous silica using inexpensive industrial grade sodium silicate and spray drying of the precipitated wet-gel silica slurry. The precipitated wet-gel silica slurry was prepared from an aqueous sodium silicate solution through the drop-wise addition of sulfuric acid. Mesoporous precipitated silica powder was prepared by drying the wet-gel slurry with different drying techniques. The effects of the oven drying (OD), microwave drying (MD), and spray drying (SD) techniques on the physical (oil, water absorption, and tapping density), and textural properties (specific BET surface area, pore volume, pore size, and % porosity) of the precipitated mesoporous silica powder were studied. The dried precipitated mesoporous silica powders were characterized with field-emission scanning electron microscopy; Brunauer, Emmett and Teller and BJH nitrogen gas adsorption/desorption methods; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy; thermogravimetric and differential analysis; N₂ physisorption isotherm; pore size distribution and particle size analysis. There was a significant effect of drying technique on the textural properties, such as specific surface area, pore size distribution and cumulative pore volume of the mesoporous silica powder. Additionally, the effect of the microwave-drying period on the physicochemical properties of the precipitated mesoporous silica powder was investigated and discussed.     

Effect of pore structure parameters of porous glass on luminescence properties of Eu/Dy co-doped high silica luminescence glass

The Eu²⁺/Dy³⁺ co-doped high silica luminescence glasses were prepared through sintering porous glasses which have adsorbed rare earth ions previously and the effect of pore structure parameters including average pore size, specific surface area, and pore volume on luminescence properties of high silica glass were analyzed by utilizing BET method and emission spectra. The results show that the pore parameters of porous glasses do not affect the shapes of emission spectra but affect the luminescence intensities of high silica glasses. The luminescence intensities of high silica glass increase when the specific surface area of porous glasses increases, which can be interpreted by mechanism of adsorption of rare earth ions onto porous glass. The average pore size and pore volume indirectly affect the luminescence intensities through influencing specific surface area of porous glass.     

Structure of liquid-vapor interface of square well fluid confined in a cylindrical pore

By means of the canonical Monte Carlo simulations, the vapor-liquid (VL) equilibrium and structure of square well (SW) fluids confined in a single cylindrical pore with repulsive surface, have been studied. Coexistence curves of the confined VL interface are determined for a wide range of temperatures and pore diameters. It is demonstrated that the confinement not only reduces the VL coexistence region but also induces strong inhomogeneities of the VL interface: coexistence liquid densities are different at the pore center and at the wall surface. It may be considered as a preliminary step for an isolated droplet formation inside the pore, as well as a tentative reason of the two VL phase transitions of simple fluids adsorbed into disordered porous media.     

Preparation and hydrogen storage of activated rayon-based carbon fibers with high specific surface area

Activated carbon fibers were prepared from rayon-based carbon fibers by two step activations with steam and KOH treatments. Hydrogen storage properties of the activated rayon-based carbon fibers with high specific surface area and micropore volume have been investigated. SEM, XRD and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were used to characterize the samples. The adsorption performance and porous structure were investigated by nitrogen adsorption isotherm at 77 K on the base of BET and density functional theory (DFT). The BET specific surface area and micropore volume of the activated rayon-based carbon fibers were 3144 m²/g and 0.744 m³/g, respectively. Hydrogen storage properties of the samples were measured at 77 and 298 K with pressure-composition isotherm (PCT) measuring system based on the volumetric method. The capacities of hydrogen storage of the activated rayon-based carbon fibers were 7.01 and 1.46 wt% at 77 and 298 K at 4 MPa, respectively. Possible mechanisms for hydrogen storage in the activated rayon-based carbon fibers are discussed.