NMR studies of carbon dioxide and methane self-diffusion in ZIF-8 at elevated gas pressures

Self-diffusion measurements with methane and carbon dioxide adsorbed in the Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) were performed by ¹H and ¹³C pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR). The experiments were conducted at 298 K and variable pressures of 7 to 15 bar in the gas phase above the ZIF-8 bed. Via known adsorption isotherms these pressures were converted to loadings of the adsorbed molecules. The self-diffusion coefficients of carbon dioxide measured by PFG NMR are found to be independent of loading. They are in good agreement with results from molecular dynamic (MD) simulations and resume the trend previously found by IR microscopy at lower loadings. Methane diffuses in ZIF-8 only slightly slower than carbon dioxide. Its experimentally obtained self-diffusion coefficients are about a factor of two smaller than the corresponding values determined by MD simulations using flexible frameworks.     

Application of pulsed field gradient NMR with high gradient strength for studies of self-diffusion in lipid membranes on the nanoscale

This work demonstrates the feasibility of noninvasive studies of lipid self-diffusion in model lipid membranes on the nanoscale using proton pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR spectroscopy with high (up to 35 T/m) gradient amplitudes. Application of high gradients affords for the use of sufficiently small diffusion times under the conditions when the width of the gradient pulses is much smaller than the diffusion time. As a result, PFG NMR studies of partially restricted or anomalous diffusion in lipid bilayers become possible over length scales as small as 100 nm. This length scale is important because it is comparable to the size of membrane domains, or lipid rafts, which are believed to exist in biomembranes. In this work, high-gradient PFG NMR has been applied to study lipid self-diffusion in three-component planar-supported multibilayers (1,2-dioleoyl- sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine/sphingomyelin/cholesterol). The degree of lipid orientation in the bilayers was determined with (31)P NMR. A special insert was designed to mechanically align the multibilayer stack at the magic angle with respect to the direction of the constant magnetic field to address the detrimental effects of proton dipole-dipole interactions on the NMR signal. This insert is an alternative to the conventional method of magic angle orientation of lipid membranes, the goniometer probe, which is not compatible with commercial high-gradient coils because of the lack of space in the magnet bore. Macroscopic orientation of the multibilayer stacks using the insert was confirmed with (1)H NMR spectroscopic studies and the comparison of results obtained from identical experiments using a goniometer probe for orientation. Diffusion studies were carried out at three different constant magnetic field strengths ( B 0) over a range of temperatures and diffusion times. The measured diffusivities were found to be in agreement with the data obtained previously by techniques that are limited to much larger length scales of diffusion observation than high-gradient PFG NMR.     

Predicting gas transport in formed zeolite adsorbents from NMR studies

The self-diffusion of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide within a 5A zeolitic adsorbent has been examined with use of pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR. In all cases, the diffusion process is well-described by a refined version of the long-range diffusion model (LRDM), adapted here for use with pelletized adsorbents, which uses exclusively adsorbent porosity and isotherm data as inputs. Correlation of the experimental data with this model yields tortuosity factors that are characteristic of the adsorbate and reflect the longer diffusive path a molecule must take due to the winding nature of the pore structure. It is demonstrated that the diffusion model can be used to accurately predict the diffusion coefficients for a ternary gas mixture within a 5A zeolite. To fully characterize the diffusive process, the surface excess on the PFG NMR samples has been obtained by a novel gas-phase NMR technique that is well-suited for measuring pure and multicomponent isotherms.     

The Potentials of Pulsed Field Gradient NMR for Investigation of Porous Media

PFG NMR self-diffusion studies provide information on the translational mobility of fluid molecules. Since in porous media the diffusion path of fluid molecules in the pore space is affected by interaction with the pore wall, PFG NMR measurements are sensitive to structural peculiarities of the confining porous medium. The pore space properties which can be investigated depend on length scales set by the PFG NMR experiment in respect to the typical size of the structural feature studied. Based upon these length scales, an interpretation pattern for PFG NMR self-diffusion studies in porous media is given. PFG NMR self-diffusion studies in macro- and microporous systems such as sedimentary rocks and zeolite crystallites, respectively, are reviewed.     

用脉冲梯度场核磁共振技术研究乙醇-水混合液在壳聚糖渗透汽化膜中的自扩散过程

用脉冲梯度场核磁共振技术(PFG—NMR)研究了水、乙醇和乙醇一水混合液在硫酸交联的壳聚糖渗透汽化膜和未交联的壳聚糖渗透汽化膜中的自扩散过程,得到了乙醇和水的溶解度和自扩散系数,阐述了水和乙醇透过壳聚糖膜的机理;实验结果表明：水和乙醇是分别由两种不同类型的扩散通道透过膜的;水是由亲水性的离子化通道扩散透过膜,而乙醇是由亲油性的高分子无定形区扩散透过膜;PFG—NMR方法所得到的结果与渗透汽化实验所得到的结果完全一致。     

Temperature driven annealing of perforations in bicellar model membranes

Bicellar model membranes composed of 1,2-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine (DHPC), with a DMPC/DHPC molar ratio of 5, and doped with the negatively charged lipid 1,2-dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), at DMPG/DMPC molar ratios of 0.02 or 0.1, were examined using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), (31)P NMR, and (1)H pulsed field gradient (PFG) diffusion NMR with the goal of understanding temperature effects on the DHPC-dependent perforations in these self-assembled membrane mimetics. Over the temperature range studied via SANS (300-330 K), these bicellar lipid mixtures exhibited a well-ordered lamellar phase. The interlamellar spacing d increased with increasing temperature, in direct contrast to the decrease in d observed upon increasing temperature with otherwise identical lipid mixtures lacking DHPC. (31)P NMR measurements on magnetically aligned bicellar mixtures of identical composition indicated a progressive migration of DHPC from regions of high curvature into planar regions with increasing temperature, and in accord with the "mixed bicelle model" (Triba, M. N.; Warschawski, D. E.; Devaux, P. E. Biophys. J.2005, 88, 1887-1901). Parallel PFG diffusion NMR measurements of transbilayer water diffusion, where the observed diffusion is dependent on the fractional surface area of lamellar perforations, showed that transbilayer water diffusion decreased with increasing temperature. A model is proposed consistent with the SANS, (31)P NMR, and PFG diffusion NMR data, wherein increasing temperature drives the progressive migration of DHPC out of high-curvature regions, consequently decreasing the fractional volume of lamellar perforations, so that water occupying these perforations redistributes into the interlamellar volume, thereby increasing the interlamellar spacing.     

Heterogeneity of polyelectrolyte diffusion in polyelectrolyte-protein coacervates: a 1H pulsed field gradient NMR study

Proton pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR was used to study the diffusion of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) in coacervates formed from this polycation and the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA). Application of high (up to 30 T/m) magnetic field gradients in PFG NMR measurements allowed probing the diffusion of PDADMAC on a length scale of displacements as small as 100 nm in coacervates formed at different pH's and ionic strengths, i.e., conditions of varying protein-polycation interaction energy. Studies were carried out for a broad range of diffusion times and corresponding values of the mean square displacements. Several ensembles of PDADMAC polycations with different diffusivities were observed in the measured range of diffusion times. The existence of these ensembles and the pattern of their changes with increasing diffusion time support the hypothesis about the microscopic heterogeneity of PDADMAC-BSA coacervates and also provide evidence for the dynamic disintegration and reformation of dense domains.     

PFG NMR studies of lysine-silica solutions

The formation process of silica nanoparticles in lysine-silica mixtures was studied using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR measurements. (1)H NMR shows line broadening of the lysine resonances during TEOS hydrolysis/nanoparticle formation. Analysis of the TEOS hydrolysis kinetics show that TEOS hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step in particle formation, and has an activation energy of 20.5 kJ/mol. Transverse relaxation measurements show a corresponding decrease in T(2) with TEOS hydrolysis, indicating a reduction in the lysine mobility due to lysine-silica interactions. PFG NMR results indicate a systemic decrease in the self-diffusion coefficient of lysine as particle formation proceeds. The results obtained can be described using a two-state model wherein lysine is either free in solution or bound to the nanoparticles. Analysis of the PFG data of samples made at various temperatures show that lysine coverage upon complete hydrolysis is between 2.5 and 2.8 mmol lysine/kg solution, and insensitive to the heating temperature. PFG NMR shows a linear increase in the amount of bound lysine with increasing lysine content, indicating an increase in the surface area present, i.e. more and smaller particles, with increased lysine content. The PFG NMR results presented give quantitative insights that indicate that while pH is likely the primary driver for the rate of particle formation and particle size, lysine is critical for stabilization of the nanoparticles.     

Gas diffusion in polycrystalline silicalite membranes investigated by 1H pulse field-gradient NMR

1H pulse field-gradient (PFG) spin-echo NMR was performed to measure the diffusivity of methane in a polycrystalline MFI-type silicalite membrane. Measured diffusivities decreased with an increase in the diffusion distance and converged to the constant value. This result suggests the presence of a transport barrier in the membrane. The long-time diffusivity in the membrane was 3.7 x 10(-9) m2/s, which was a factor of 3 smaller than reported values in a single crystal. The distance between the transport barriers was estimated to be much larger than 6 mum from the relationship of diffusivity with displacement. It should be noted that the estimated distances were larger than the smallest dimension of the crystals appearing in the membrane surface. Gas permeation and pervaporation tests were carried out on the same sample for which NMR measurements were taken. The estimated methane flux using measured long-time diffusivity by the permeation theory overestimated the experimental value, although it is closer to the experimental value than the value estimated using the short-time diffusivity. These results mean that the methane diffusivity in a silicalite membrane is much smaller than that in a single crystal.     

Sorption and diffusion of methanol and water in PVDF‐g‐PSSA and Nafion® 117 polymer electrolyte membranes

Sorption and diffusion properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride)‐graft‐poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PVDF‐g‐PSSA) and Nafion® 117 polymer electrolyte membranes were studied in water/methanol mixtures. The two types of membranes were found to have different sorption properties. The Nafion 117 membrane was found to have a maximum in‐solvent uptake around 0.4 to 0.6 mole fraction of methanol, while the PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes took up less solvent with increasing methanol concentration. The proton NMR spectra were recorded for membranes immersed in deuterated water/methanol mixtures. The spectra showed that the hydroxyl protons inside the membrane exhibit resonance lines different from the resonance lines of hydroxyl protons in the external solvent. The spectral features of the lines of these internal hydroxyl groups in the membranes were different in the Nafion membrane compared with the PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes. Diffusion measurements with the pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG‐NMR) method showed that the diffusion coefficient of the internal hydroxyl groups in the solvent immersed Nafion membrane mirrors the changes in the diffusion coefficients of hydroxyl and methyl protons in the external solvent. For the PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes, a decrease in the diffusion coefficient of the internal hydroxyl protons was seen with increasing methanol concentration. These results indicate that the morphology and chemical structure of the membranes have an effect on their solvent sorption and diffusion characteristics. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 3277–3284, 2000     

Translational diffusion of macromolecular assemblies measured using transverse-relaxation-optimized pulsed field gradient NMR

In structural biology, pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR spectroscopy for the characterization of size and hydrodynamic parameters of macromolecular solutes has the advantage over other techniques that the measurements can be recorded with identical solution conditions as used for NMR structure determination or for crystallization trials. This paper describes two transverse-relaxation-optimized (TRO) (15)N-filtered PFG stimulated-echo (STE) experiments for studies of macromolecular translational diffusion in solution, (1)H-TRO-STE and (15)N-TRO-STE, which include CRINEPT and TROSY elements. Measurements with mixed micelles of the Escherichia coli outer membrane protein X (OmpX) and the detergent Fos-10 were used for a systematic comparison of (1)H-TRO-STE and (15)N-TRO-STE with conventional (15)N-filtered STE experimental schemes. The results provide an extended platform for evaluating the NMR experiments available for diffusion measurements in structural biology projects involving molecular particles with different size ranges. An initial application of the (15)N-TRO-STE experiment with very long diffusion delays showed that the tedradecamer structure of the 800 kDa Thermus thermophilus chaperonin GroEL is preserved in aqueous solution over the temperature range 25-60 °C.     

Unexpectedly low translational mobility of methane and tetrafluoromethane in the large-pore molecular sieve VPI-5

Molecular diffusion of methane and tetrafluoromethane in the microporous material VPI-5 was studied by pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR) and NMR exchange experiments. The translational mobility of both molecules in VPI-5 was found to be at least two orders of magnitude smaller than in ZSM-5. This is surprising since the channels in VPI-5 are about two times as wide as those in ZSM-5. The surprisingly small translational mobility in VPI-5 could be caused by a more complete stabilization effect or by single-file diffusion. The intracrystalline mean life time of methane in VPI-5 directly measured in the NMR tracer exchange experiments was found to be in satisfactory agreement with the value estimated on the basis of the PFG NMR data on translational mobility for ordinary intracrystalline diffusion. It must be ruled out, therefore, that molecular transportation over length scales of the order of the crystallite dimensions is controlled by single-file diffusion.     

Restricted diffusion in silica particles measured by pulsed field gradient NMR

The restricted diffusion coefficient of water through porous silica is measured by pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR as a function of loading in order to develop a model for self-diffusion at full pore filling in sol-gel-made porous silica particles. This model describes the pore or intraparticle diffusion coefficient as a function of particle porosity, tortuosity, and the steric hindrance applied on the molecules by the pore space. The particle morphology is characterized by nitrogen adsorption and an appropriate tortuosity model is chosen in comparison with literature data. To characterize the material, NMR relaxation and diffusion studies at different degrees of pore filling were carried out in relation to the silica/water adsorption isotherm.     

腐蚀介质在缓蚀剂膜中扩散行为的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学模拟方法,从缓蚀剂膜阻碍腐蚀介质粒子(H2O、H3O+和HCO3-)向金属表面扩散的角度,研究了4种1-R1-2-十一烷基-咪唑啉缓蚀剂(R1:羧甲基(A),羟乙基(B),氨乙基(C),氢(D))抑制碳钢CO2腐蚀的缓蚀机理,并对其缓蚀性能进行了理论评价.腐蚀介质粒子在不同缓蚀剂膜中的扩散系数、粒子与膜的相互作用能以及膜的自扩散性能的计算结果表明:4种缓蚀剂均可形成稳定的缓蚀剂膜,能有效阻碍腐蚀介质粒子向金属表面的扩散,达到抑制或延缓腐蚀的目的;随亲水支链(R1)极性的增加,缓蚀剂膜对腐蚀介质粒子扩散行为的抑制能力逐渐增强;同种缓蚀剂膜对正负离子H3O+和HCO3-比对中性的H2O分子具有更强的扩散抑制能力.综合计算及分析结果,4种缓蚀剂缓蚀性能的理论评价结果为ABCD,与文献实验结果吻合.     

Molecular basis of carbon dioxide transport in polycarbonate membranes

Gas transport of carbon dioxide in poly[bisphenol A carbonate-co-4,4'-(3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexylidene)diphenol carbonate] films over a wide range of pressure is described. The interpretation of the experimental results in terms of the dual mode model allowed the evaluation of the parameters of the model that govern the gas permeation process. The value of the diffusion coefficient obtained for carbon dioxide at zero concentration was 2.4 x 10(-8) cm(2) s(-1), at 303 K. This parameter was also measured by using pulsed field gradient NMR finding that its value reaches a nearly constant value of (2.7 +/- 0.9) x 10(-8) cm(2) s(-1), at 298 K, for diffusion times greater than 20 ms. Both the diffusion and solubility coefficients were also computed by using simulation methods based on the transition states theory and the Widom method, respectively. The value obtained for the diffusion coefficient was 1.8 x 10(-8) cm(2) s(-1), at 303 K, which compares very favorably with the experimental measurements. The drop of the simulated solubility coefficient with increasing pressure is sharper than that of the experimental one, at low pressures, and similar, at high pressures.     

How to compare diffusion processes assessed by single-particle tracking and pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance

Heterogeneous diffusion processes occur in many different fields such as transport in living cells or diffusion in porous media. A characterization of the transport parameters of such processes can be achieved by ensemble-based methods, such as pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR), or by trajectory-based methods obtained from single-particle tracking (SPT) experiments. In this paper, we study the general relationship between both methods and its application to heterogeneous systems. We derive analytical expressions for the distribution of diffusivities from SPT and further relate it to NMR spin-echo diffusion attenuation functions. To exemplify the applicability of this approach, we employ a well-established two-region exchange model, which has widely been used in the context of PFG NMR studies of multiphase systems subjected to interphase molecular exchange processes. This type of systems, which can also describe a layered liquid with layer-dependent self-diffusion coefficients, has also recently gained attention in SPT experiments. We reformulate the results of the two-region exchange model in terms of SPT-observables and compare its predictions to that obtained using the exact transformation which we derived.     

Self-diffusion of water-ethanol mixture in chitosan membranes obtained by pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance technique

The self-diffusion of water and ethanol for crosslinked and uncrosslinked chitosan membranes have been investigated by pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It has been shown that during diffusion processes, water and ethanol are localized in different parts of the chitosan membrane. In the crosslinked membrane, the self-diffusion coefficient for water is higher, but that for ethanol is essentially lower, than those for the uncrosslinked membrane. For this reason, the mobility selectivity is essentially higher in crosslinked membrane as compared to the uncrosslinked. The sorption selectivity are the same for these two types of membranes.     

Adsorption and diffusion of nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide in aluminophosphate molecular sieve AlPO4-11

The knowledge about the adsorption and diffusion properties (specially about diffusion) of aluminophosphate molecular sieves is very scarce in the literature. These materials offer interesting properties as adsorbents as they have a polar framework and do not contain charge-balancing cations. In this work, the adsorption isotherms of nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide over an AlPO₄-11 sample synthesized in our laboratories have been measured with a volumetric method at 25, 35, 50 and 65 °C over a pressure range up to 110 kPa. The adsorption capacities of each gas are determined by the strength of interaction with the pore surface (carbon dioxide > methane > nitrogen). The equilibrium selectivity to carbon dioxide is quite high with respect to other adsorbents without cations due to the polarity of the aluminophosphate framework. The adsorption Henry’s law constants and diffusion time constants of nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide in the synthesized AlPO₄-11 material have been measured from pulse experiments. A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process for recovering methane from a carbon dioxide/methane mixture (resembling biogas) has been designed using a dynamic model where the measured adsorption equilibrium and kinetic information has been incorporated. The simulation results show that the proposed process could be simpler than other PSA processes for biogas upgrading based on cation-containing molecular sieves such as 13X zeolite, as it can treat the biogas at atmospheric pressure, and it requires a lower pressure ratio, to produce high purity methane with high recovery.     

STUDIES ON THE SELF-DIFFUSION OF WATER ETHANOL MIXTURE IN CHITOSAN PERVAPORATION MEMBRANE WITH PULSED FIELD GRADIENT NMR DATA

The self-diffesion of water, ethanol and water-ethanol mixtures in chitosan (CS) membranes crosslinked byaqueous H_2SO_4 solution and uncrosslinked membrane was measured using pulsed-field gradient (PFG) nuclear magneticresonance (NMR) spectroscopy to obtain the partial solubilities and self-diffusion coefficients. An attempt was made toexplain the transport properties of water and ethanol through the CS membrane. It was concluded that there are two types ofchannel water and ethanol diffesate transfer. The water was localized in the hydrophilic ionic region formed by the ionizedgroups, and the ethanol was localized in the hydrophobic amorphous network of the polymer. There was a good agreementbetween the separation fastors estimated from PFG-NMR data and those obtained by pervaporation testing.     

Adsorption and selectivity of carbon dioxide with methane and nitrogen in slit-shaped carbonaceous micropores: Simulation and experiment

We have used the grand canonical Monte Carlo method to study the adsorption and selectivity of mixtures of carbon dioxide with methane and nitrogen at high (i.e., ambient) temperatures in model slit pores with graphitic surfaces. Experimental data, including new high pressure measurements for carbon dioxide and methane on a non-porous graphitic standard, were used to test the potential models. The mixture simulations predict that carbon dioxide is preferentially adsorbed in both systems. The results are discussed in terms of competing energetic and entropic effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms.