Hydrogen bonding of water confined in mesoporous silica MCM-41 and SBA-15 studied by 1H solid-state NMR

The adsorption of water in two mesoporous silica materials with cylindrical pores of uniform diameter, MCM-41 and SBA-15, was studied by 1H MAS (MAS=magic angle spinning) and static solid-state NMR spectroscopy. All observed hydrogen atoms are either surface -SiOH groups or hydrogen-bonded water molecules. Unlike MCM-41, some strongly bound water molecules exist at the inner surfaces of SBA-15 that are assigned to surface defects. At higher filling levels, a further difference between MCM-41 and SBA-15 is observed. Water molecules in MCM-41 exhibit a bimodal line distribution of chemical shifts, with one peak at the position of inner-bulk water, and the second peak at the position of water molecules in fast exchange with surface -SiOH groups. In SBA-15, a single line is observed that shifts continuously as the pore filling is increased. This result is attributed to a different pore-filling mechanism for the two silica materials. In MCM-41, due to its small pore diameter (3.3 nm), pore filling by pore condensation (axial-pore-filling mode) occurs at a low relative pressure, corresponding roughly to a single adsorbed monolayer. For SBA-15, owing to its larger pore diameter (8 nm), a gradual increase in the thickness of the adsorbed layer (radial-pore-filling mode) prevails until pore condensation takes place at a higher level of pore filling.     

苯分子在Cu(100)面平板模型上吸附的密度泛函理论研究

使用量子化学中的密度泛函理论和平板周期模型方法，研究了苯在Cu(100)面上的吸附方式和相对稳定性. 计算结果表明，苯在Cu(100)表面的吸附属于较强的化学作用，稳定性穴位优于桥位，顶位吸附最不稳定. 在吸附过程中，C—C键有相对大的伸长，C—H键的键长变化较小，但是偏离苯环平面，并背离固体表面，顶位则是朝向表面. 吸附过程中，发生了电子从苯向铜原子的转移.     

Benzene Adsorption Isotherms on MCM-41 and their Use for Pore Size Analysis

This work is focused on the elaboration of methodology for adsorption characterization of porous silicas by using benzene adsorption isotherms measured on good quality MCM-41 materials. Three MCM-41 samples were synthesized by using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica source and surfactants, octyltrimethylammonium (C8), decyltrimethylammonium (C10) and cetyltrimethylammonium (C16) bromides as templates. A characteristic feature of this synthesis was relatively long hydrothermal treatment (5 days) at 373 K, which gave well ordered samples as evidenced by powder XRD analysis. Benzene adsorption isotherms measured on these MCM-41 samples were used to evaluate such standard quantities as the BET specific surface area, total pore volume, external surface area and the volume of ordered mesopores, and to obtain the statistical film thickness (t-curve) as well as the Kelvin-type relation, which describes the dependence between pore width and condensation pressure for benzene on silica at 298 K. The latter relations were incorporated into the Barrett-Joyner-Halenda algorithm to extend its applicability to calculate the pore size distributions from benzene adsorption data.     

Diffusion of cyclohexane in native and surface-modified mesoporous glasses

Diffusion of cyclohexane in mesoporous silica materials with different degrees of surface silanization has been probed by means of pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance. The self-diffusion coefficients have been measured at various pore fillings from about 10% of one monolayer coverage to complete pore saturation by the capillary-condensed phase. It is found that the surface modification, namely grafting of dimethyloctadecylmethoxysilane molecules to the silica surface, reduces diffusivities of guest molecules as compared to the native sample. The contribution of the Knudsen molecular diffusion to the measured diffusivity has been assessed using the model of fast molecular exchange between the adsorbed phase on the pore walls and the molecules in the gaseous phase in the pore interior. The diffusivity data were correlated with the degree of the surface modification, with the latter being probed by measuring ¹H and ¹³C spectra using magic angle spinning (MAS) solid state NMR, nitrogen adsorption and thermogravimetry.     

应用理论计算研究MCM-22分子筛相邻酸性位上乙烯和苯的吸附

应用ONIOM计算方法研究了MCM-22分子筛超笼12元环上存在两个酸性位时的酸强度及其与骨架铝之间距离的关系,并研究了乙烯和苯分子吸附的规律.计算采用52T簇模型和B3LYP/6-31G**/MNDO方法.结果表明,存在两个酸性位且两个骨架铝之间间隔1个骨架硅时,酸强度比孤立的酸性位明显降低;当间隔的硅原子数增加时,酸强度呈上升趋势,间隔3个以上骨架硅时,其酸强度与孤立的酸性位几乎没有差别.对于乙烯的吸附,当两个骨架铝之间间隔1~4个骨架硅时,其吸附能几乎没有差别(31~35 kJ/mol);对于苯的吸附,当两个骨架铝之间间隔1个骨架硅时,其吸附能有所提高,因为两个桥羟基同时对苯分子产生氢键吸附作用.当两个骨架铝之间的距离增大时,苯的吸附能几乎相同(21~29 kJ/mol).若两个乙烯分子或苯分子同时吸附在双酸性位上,其吸附能与单个分子在孤立酸性位吸附时几乎没有差别.应用自然键轨道计算分析了吸附配合物的电子结构,进一步探明了乙烯和苯在分子筛酸性位上吸附的本质.     

Adsorption, structure and dynamics of benzene in ordered and disordered porous carbons

Molecular simulations are used to study the adsorption, structure, and dynamics of benzene at 298 K in atomistic models of ordered and disordered nanoporous carbons. The ordered porous carbon is a regular slit pore made up of graphene sheets. The disordered porous carbon is a structural model that reproduces the morphological (pore shape) and topological (pore connectivity) disorder of saccharose-based porous carbons. As expected for pores of a regular geometry, the filling occurs at well-defined pressures which are an increasing function of the pore width H. In contrast, in qualitative agreement with experimental data for activated carbon fibers, the filling of the disordered carbon is continuous and spans over a large pressure range. The structure and dynamics of benzene in the disordered carbon also strongly depart from that for the slit pore geometry. While benzene in the slit graphite nanopores exhibits significant layering, benzene in the disordered porous carbon exhibits a liquid-like structure very close to its bulk counterpart. Both the ordering and self-diffusivity of benzene in the graphite nanopores depend in a complex manner on the pore width. The dynamics is either slower or faster than its bulk counterpart; our data show that the self-diffusivity decreases as the number of confined layers n divided by the pore width H increases (except for very small pore sizes for which benzene crystallizes and is necessarily slower than the liquid phase). The dynamics of benzene in the disordered porous carbon is isotropic and is much slower than that for the graphite slit nanopores (even with the smallest slit nanopore considered in this work). The results above show that the adsorption, structure, and dynamics of benzene confined in disordered porous carbons cannot be described in simple terms using an ideal model such as the slit pore geometry.     

Study of the State of Benzene Molecules Adsorbed on the Surfaces of Organic Derivatives of Kaolinite and Silica

Values and heats of benzene adsorption on modified kaolinite and silica samples are measured by adsorption calorimetry. Entropy diagrams are calculated for benzene adsorbed on these samples. Obtained results are compared to entropy losses theoretically calculated for benzene molecules using the models of ideal localized and nonlocalized adsorption. It is demonstrated that, depending on the type of an inorganic matrix, the nature of a modifier, and the degree of modification, the adsorption of benzene molecules on studied sorbents is described by the models of a supermobile nonlocalized adsorption or a nonlocalized adsorption accompanied by the loss of some rotational degrees of freedom. For a rare case of the supermobile adsorption of benzene on the modified silica, the vibration frequency of its molecules with respect to the surface is calculated.     

Effect of pore structure in mesoporous silicas on VOC dynamic adsorption/desorption performance

The dynamic adsorption/desorption behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as toluene (C7H8) and benzene (C6H6) was evaluated for three kinds of mesoporous silicas of SBA-15, all having almost the same mesopore size of ca. 5.7 nm, and a MCM-41 silica with a smaller pore size of 2.1 nm using a continuous three-step test. The fiberlike SBA-15 silica exhibited exceptionally good breakthrough behavior, a higher VOC capacity, and easier desorption. The fiberlike silica was composed through the catenation of rodlike particles. The rodlike silicas, by comparison, were proven to be less useful in dynamic adsorption processes because of lower dynamic VOC capacities despite having comparative porous parameters with the fiberlike silica. The large dynamic VOC capacity of the fiberlike silica was attributed to the presence of a bimodal pore system consisting of longer, one-dimensional mesopore channels connected by complementary micropores.     

二氧化硅气凝胶对挥发性有机污染物的吸附性能研究

以TEOS为前驱体,乙醇为溶剂,氢氟酸为催化剂,一步法合成了常规二氧化硅气凝胶。经乙醇超临界干燥后,通过SEM,FTIR和N2吸脱附分析仪等仪器对二氧化硅气凝胶样品进行表征,以更好地了解吸附机理与性质的关系。结果表明,样品的比表面积高达519 m2/g,孔体积为1.9 cm3/g,平均孔径为15.15 nm,是一种优良的吸附材料。制备的样品用作测试甲苯、对二甲苯和苯三种挥发性有机化合物的吸附效果。结果表明,二氧化硅气凝胶对三种污染物都具有很高的吸附量,其高吸附能力归因于气凝胶的三维纳米网络结构。样品对甲苯,对二甲苯和苯的最大吸附能力分别为1422.8 mg/g,707.4 mg/g和1299.4 mg/g。综上所述,二氧化硅气凝胶是一种很有前景的处理挥发性有机化合物的吸附剂,具有优异的吸附性能。     

Adsorption and reaction of cyclohexene on a Ni(111) surface

We studied the adsorption and reaction of cyclohexene (C6H10) on Ni(111) at different temperatures with high-resolution in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS). For exposure at 125 K, we find intact cyclohexene with two distinct C 1s signals at 283.3 and 284.2 eV, due to the nonequivalent carbon atoms in the molecule. The energetic separation is significantly increased relative to the gas-phase value, due to the interaction with the substrate. Upon exposure at 210 K, complete dehydrogenation of cyclohexene to benzene (C6H6) and hydrogen is observed; coverage-dependent changes of the benzene adsorption site occur in a way similar to those for pure benzene layers, which indicates a phase separation in benzene and hydrogen islands. The thermal evolution of the adsorbed layers was studied by temperature-programmed (TP-) XPS and temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy (TPD). Upon heating, the benzene + hydrogen layer formed at 210 K shows a coverage-dependent reorientation of the benzene molecules during partial desorption. The cyclohexene layer adsorbed at 125 K only shows partial conversion of cyclohexene to benzene and hydrogen upon heating to 185 or 210 K, with the remaining cyclohexene being stable up to approximately 300 K. We propose that upon heating these molecules are stabilized by coadsorbed benzene and hydrogen; furthermore, the mobility of benzene and hydrogen in this coadsorbed layer is reduced, so that no phase separation can occur.     

介孔硅材料及其负载型催化剂去除挥发性有机物的最新进展

介孔硅材料由于具有大的比表面积,均一的孔结构和大的孔径,常被用于分离、吸附和催化等领域.本文综述了近年来国内外介孔硅材料及其负载型催化剂去除各类挥发性有机物(VOCs)的研究进展,主要包括烃类、甲醇、甲醛、丙酮、苯、甲苯、萘、乙酸乙酯等.讨论了介孔硅材料的结构对VOCs吸附过程的影响;介绍了不同催化剂消除各类VOCs的催化性能及反应机理,并重点评述了甲苯在不同催化剂上的研究进展.分析结果表明,介孔硅材料的表面环境、孔道结构以及宏观形貌是影响VOCs分子在介孔硅材料上吸附的主要因素;贵金属催化剂的应用需要提高其抗中毒性以及降低成本;过渡金属的研究应着重于研发高活性的负载型过渡金属复合氧化物催化剂.最后对国内外介孔硅材料及其负载型催化剂的发展进行了展望,今后催化剂的设计可以从“氧化硅载体”和“介孔孔道”两个方面展开,这将为设计合适的催化剂处理各类VOCs污染物提供一定参考.     

Density functional theory modeling of the adsorption of small analyte and indicator dye 9-(diphenylamino)acridine molecules on the surface of amorphous silica nanoparticles

The adsorption of small analyte molecules (H(2)O, NH(3), C(2)H(5)OH, and (CH(3))(2)CO) and an indicator dye, 9-(diphenylamino)acridine (DPAA), on the surface of amorphous silica particles is studied using electronic structure calculations at the DFT-D level of theory taking into account explicit corrections for van der Waals forces. Cluster models of three different types are used; two of them have been constructed using classical MD methods. The effect of particle size, local environment, and the choice of the exchange-correlation functional and basis set on the adsorption energies is studied, and adsorption energies are extrapolated to nanosized clusters. It is shown that the dye is more strongly bound to amorphous silica particles than the studied analyte molecules and that the energy of DPAA adsorption increases with the particle size, being at least twice as high as the energy of analyte adsorption for nanosized clusters. Electrostatic interactions play an important role in the adsorption of acridine dyes on the surface of silica nanoparticles.     

Modeling of Adsorption in Finite Cylindrical Pores by Means of Density Functional Theory

Adsorption of argon at its boiling point in finite cylindrical pores is considered by means of the non-local density functional theory (NLDFT) with a reference to MCM-41 silica. The NLDFT was adjusted to amorphous solids, which allowed us to quantitatively describe argon adsorption isotherm on nonporous reference silica in the entire bulk pressure range. In contrast to the conventional NLDFT technique, application of the model to cylindrical pores does not show any layering before the phase transition in conformity with experimental data. The finite pore is modeled as a cylindrical cavity bounded from its mouth by an infinite flat surface perpendicular to the pore axis. The adsorption of argon in pores of 4 and 5 nm diameters is analyzed in canonical and grand canonical ensembles using a two-dimensional version of NLDFT, which accounts for the radial and longitudinal fluid density distributions. The simulation results did not show any unusual features associated with accounting for the outer surface and support the conclusions obtained from the classical analysis of capillary condensation and evaporation. That is, the spontaneous condensation occurs at the vapor-like spinodal point, which is the upper limit of mechanical stability of the liquid-like film wetting the pore wall, while the evaporation occurs via a mechanism of receding of the semispherical meniscus from the pore mouth and the complete evaporation of the core occurs at the equilibrium transition pressure. Visualization of the pore filling and empting in the form of contour lines is presented.     

In situ small angle X-ray scattering and benzene adsorption on polymer-based carbon hollow fiber membranes

The structural changes and the mechanism of benzene adsorption on microporous carbon hollow fiber membranes with different surface and pore network properties have been investigated by in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and benzene adsorption. Benzene adsorption measurements have been carried out in situ with SAXS alongside an adsorption/desorption isotherm cycle at 293 K with the aid of a specially constructed adsorption sample cell. In addition low-pressure C₆H₆ and high-pressure CO₂, CH₄ and N₂ adsorption isotherms have been performed. Two carbon hollow fiber membranes, both prepared by controlled pyrolysis procedures of polyimide membrane precursor, were under study. During benzene adsorption the intensity of the SAXS curves changes in a way that depends on how the pores are filled and the contrast fluctuations occur. The SAXS data have been modeled by evaluating the form factor of lamellar micropores upon filling with C₆H₆. The existence of ultra micropores within the surrounding matrix was also taken into account. The results suggest that the arrangement of the ultra micropores on the non-activated membrane is in such a way that the access of benzene to the micropores is restricted, resulting in an incomplete filling. On the other hand, the activation process generates a more accessible pore network where the micropores are completely filled.     

Molecular simulation of adsorption and intrusion in nanopores

This paper reports Monte Carlo simulations of the adsorption or intrusion in cylindrical silica nanopores. All the pores are opened at both ends towards an external bulk reservoir, so that they mimic real materials for which the confined fluid is always in contact with the external phase. This realistic model allows us to discuss the nature of the filling and emptying mechanisms. The adsorption corresponds to the metastable nucleation of the liquid phase, starting from a partially filled pore (a molecular thick film adsorbed at the pore surface). On the other hand, the desorption occurs through the displacement at equilibrium of a gas/liquid hemispherical interface (concave meniscus) along the pore axis. The intrusion of the non-wetting fluid proceeds through the invasion in the pore of the liquid/gas interface (convex meniscus), while the extrusion consists of the nucleation of the gas phase within the pore. In the case of adsorption, our simulation data are used to discuss the validity of the modified Kelvin equation (which is corrected for both the film adsorbed at the pore surface and the curvature effect on the gas/liquid surface tension).     

Gaseous adsorption properties of a silica-pillared layered manganese oxide

Adsorptions of N(2), H(2)O, and organic vapors including CH(2)Cl(2), CCl(4), c-C(6)H(12), C(6)H(6), n-C(6)H(14), and n-C(9)H(20) on a silica-pillared layered manganese oxide (SiHMnO) and nonane-preadsorbed SiHMnO were examined. It is found that SiHMnO has a microporosity with a wide pore width distribution showing different pore wall affinities. Micropores with smaller width preferentially accommodate the nonane preadsorbate while the surface hydrophilicity of pore wall leads to an easier detachment of the adsorbed nonane molecules. H(2)O adsorption influences both the porosity and the surface properties by accelerating a sufficient hydrolysis of the remained TEOS molecules in SiHMnO. Examinations using Dubinin-Radeshkevich (DR) equation and isosteric heat of adsorption of organic molecules provide evidences that the wall surface of micropores with smaller and larger width have less affinity toward nonpolar and polar organic vapors, respectively.     

Capillary Condensation and Melting/Freezing Transitions for Methane in Slit Coal Pores

Grand canonical Monte Carlo method has been applied to study the adsorption behavior of methane in slit coal micropores for pore widths from 1.5 to 4.5 nm at temperatures 111–300 K. The adsorbent surface is considered to be inhomogeneous with C, N, S, O and H atoms, as well as vacancies, taken into account. The effect of surface microstructure on mechanism of the pore filling and saturation pressure is found to be more pronounced at relatively low and moderate strength of the adsorption field. It is also shown that irregular impurities and defects at the adsorbent surface contribute to the lowering of the freezing temperature and can change qualitively its dependence on the pore width.     

Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation of argon adsorption at the surface of silica nanopores: effect of pore size, pore morphology, and surface roughness

Argon adsorption (77 K) in atomistic silica nanopores of various sizes and shapes has been studied by means of grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations (GCMC). We discuss the effects of confinement (pore size), pore morphology (ellipsoidal, hexagonal, constricted pore), and surface texture (rough/smooth) on the thickness variation of the adsorbed film with pressure onto the disordered inner surface of porous materials (usually called t-plot or t-curve). We show that no confinement effect occurs when the diameter of the regular cylindrical pore is larger than 10 nm. For pores smaller than 6 nm, we find that the film thickness increases as the pore size decreases. We show that the adsorption isotherm in the rough pore can be described as the sum of an adsorbed amount similar to that found for a smooth pore (of the same radius) and a constant contribution due to atoms "trapped" in the infractuosities of the rough surface which act as a microporous texture. Simulation snapshots for Ar adsorption in hexagonal and ellipsoidal smooth pores indicate that at low pressures the gas/adsorbate interface retains memory of the pore shape and becomes cylindrical prior to the capillary condensation of the fluid in the pore. The film thickness in the hexagonal pore is close to that obtained for a cylindrical pore having a similar dimension. By contrast, we find that the film thickness for an ellipsoidal pore is always larger than that for an equivalent cylindrical pore (having the same length and volume but a circular section). We show that this effect strengthens as the pore size decreases and/or the pore asymmetry increases. Ar adsorption in a cylindrical constricted pore shows that the presence of the narrower part considerably modifies the adsorption mechanism. Finally, we report GCMC simulations of Ar adsorption (77 K) on a plane silica reference substrate for different intermolecular potentials. We discuss the effect of the interaction on the shape of the adsorption isotherm and compare our results with experiments.     

Molecular-level characterization of the breathing behavior of the jungle-gym-type DMOF-1 metal-organic framework

Fundamental insights into the molecular mechanisms that determine the breathing behavior of the jungle-gym-type DMOF-1 metal-organic framework upon adsorption of benzene and isopropyl alcohol are gained from computer simulations. In all cases, good agreement is obtained between the calculated and experimental structural parameters. In the case of benzene adsorption, DMOF-1 is predicted to exist in a narrow pore configuration at high loadings and/or low temperature. A structural transition into a large pore configuration is then observed as the temperature increases and/or the loading decreases, which is directly related to the spatial distribution and molecular interactions of the benzene molecules within the pores. The isopropyl alcohol adsorption simulations indicate that DMOF-1 undergoes two distinct structural transitions (from large pore to narrow pore and then back to large pore) as the number of adsorbed molecules increases, which is explained in terms of the formation of hydrogen bonds between the isopropyl molecules and the framework.     

Sorption Characteristics of Porous Styrene-Divinylbenzene Copolymers Filled with Modified Silica

The structural parameters of porous styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer, unfilled and filled with silica containing surface trimethylsilyl and silicon hydride groups were studied by aniline and p-chloroaniline adsorption. It has been shown that embedding of chemically modified silica affects the material porosity and decreases the copolymer swelling in benzene.