Guest-host encapsulation of microporous zeolites in ordered mesoporous materials by molecular simulations

The present work provides the first study of ordered mesoporous materials SBA-15 coated with microporous zeolites ZSM-5 using molecular simulations. Several model structures with characteristics such as periodic arrangement of mesopores, randomly arranged micropores, surface hydroxyls and bulk deformations of SBA-15 were used. Cartesian coordinates of ZSM-5 unit lattice were obtained from the literature and the 100 face of H-ZSM-5 unit cell was then placed on the surface of SBA-15 and the entire structure was equilibrated to obtain final configuration. The resulting structure was characterized using simulated small angle and wide angle X-ray diffraction, Connolly surface area (to compare BET area), accessible pore volume for nitrogen molecules (to compare with t-plot volume of micro and mesopores) and methane adsorption at 303 K. The orientation of ZSM-5 on the SBA-15 had no effect on the surface area, pore volume or adsorption capacity. In order to find out if the addition of microporous ZSM-5 should increase the total methane adsorption capacity due to addition of micropores, we studied adsorption on bare and coated SBA-15. However, total adsorption capacity was found to decrease, while the number of methane molecules adsorbed per unit cell of the SBA-15 structure increased. An existing experimental method (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2004, 126, 14324) of the synthesizing hybrid ZSM-5/SBA-15 structure was studied using accessible micropore volume (by t-plot). It was found that the procedure made all the micropores inaccessible. A modification of the method or use of other host materials is suggested to use the benefits of narrow micropore distribution in ZSM-5.     

Structure and diffusion characterization of SBA-15 materials

In situ formation of the micro- and mesoporous structures of SBA-15 materials was investigated. It was found that the structure is significantly different from that for cylindrical or hexagonal pores, which suggests that the SBA-15 is more complex than an array of hexagonally ordered channels. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K provided evidence that large (primary) mesopores are accompanied by a certain amount of significantly smaller pores with a broad distribution in the micropore/small-mesopore range within the mesoporous walls of main channels. It was found that the microporosity can be controlled by the time of heating as well as the synthesis temperature. The diffusion properties of n-heptane as a probe molecule in four selected SBA-15 samples with different micropore volumes were studied by the standard zero length column technique and related to their structural characteristics. The results have shown that the diffusion process involving n-heptane at a low concentration level takes place inside the walls of main mesoporous channels and depends on the relative content of micropores. In the samples that have a relatively high content of micropores, n-heptane diffusivities are relatively low, their activation energies are high, and the process is similar to diffusion in typical microporous adsorbents, like zeolites. As the micropore content is decreased, diffusion becomes more and more controlled by secondary mesopores of the intrawall pore structure, rendering diffusion faster and activation energies lower.     

负载TS-1导向剂的介孔材料的合成、表征及催化性能研究

利用浸渍法将TS-1导向剂高度分散在介孔材料MCM-41和SBA-15的表面,制备出一系列在氧化反应中具有高活性的催化材料.对样品的表征显示催化剂保持了介孔的结构,同时具有四配位的钛物种均匀地分散于介孔催化剂的表面.催化结果显示,与钛硅分子筛(TS-1)相比,所制备的催化剂在小分子的氧化反应中表现出相似的活性,在大分子的氧化反应中展示了很高的活性,体现了介孔材料的优越性.     

Availability and interconnectivity of pores in mesostructured ZSM-5 zeolites by the adsorption and diffusion of mesitylene

Probing the mesopore architecture in mesoporous zeolites is of importance for large scale applications of the materials. In this work, the adsorption and diffusion of mesitylene with larger molecule size in mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolites were carried out, in order to acquaint the availability and interconnectivity of mesopores in zeolite crystals. The comparisons of the shape of adsorption isotherms and the mesopore volume calculated from mesitylene and N₂ adsorption in mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolites with different mesoporosities can be used to discriminate two cases of mesopores: accessible mesopores connected to external surface of the zeolite crystals and non-accessible meso-voids that are occluded in the microporous matrix. Furthermore, the effective diffusivity and activation energy of mesitylene in mesoporous ZSM-5 extracted from ZLC desorption curves as a function of mesopore volume calculated from mesitylene adsorption reveal the enhancement of mesopore interconnectivity to molecule diffusion in zeolite crystals.     

Iron oxide nanoparticles within the pore system of mesoporous SBA-15 in different acidity: the synthesis and characterization

Direct hydrothermal method is employed for incorporating iron into the pore structure of SBA-15. The resultant materials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, N₂ sorption isotherm and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The characterizations of XRD patterns and XPS revealed that iron nanoparticles were present as highly dispersed nanoclusters in the well-ordered mesoporous channels of SBA-15. The characterizations of t-plot reveal only microporous channels of SBA-15 are confirmed to be filled with iron nanoparticles, leaving the mesopores unaffected. The supported material still maintained its ordered mesoporous structure similar to SBA-15 and possessed high surface area, large pore volume and uniform pore size.     

Direct synthesis of ordered mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolites from in situ crystallization of carbonaceous SBA-15

Two types of ordered mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolites with different mesopores were synthesized by a two-step method. First,carbonaceous SBA-15 was produced by in situ carbonization of SBA-15/P123 composite. Then the obtained SBA-15/C composite was transformed into crystallized mesoporous ZSM-5 by impregnation TPAOH followed by steam-assisted crystallization. The final calcined samples synthesized with typical SBA-15/P123 precursor showed a wormlike morphology with the mean mesopore size of 4.6 nm, while samples synthesized with the addition of trimethylbenzene as swelling agent in the precursor exhibited the morphology of microsphere with the mesopore size of about 9.5 nm. Both two types of mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolites exhibited large surface area and mesopore structure. The steam-assisted crystallization(SAC) was performed with lower consumption of solvents. This two-step method may also be suitable for synthesizing other ordered mesoporous zeolites used as catalysts in some catalytic processes.     

Adsorptive desulfurization by copper species within confined space

Copper species were incorporated into SBA-15 by solid-state grinding precursor with as-prepared mesoporous silica (SPA). The obtained materials (CuAS) were well-characterized by XRD, TEM, N(2) adsorption, H(2)-TPR, IR, and TG and compared with the material derived from calcined SBA-15 (CuCS). Surprisingly, CuO up to 6.7 mmol·g(-1) can be highly dispersed on SBA-15 by use of SPA strategy. Such CuO forms a smooth layer coated on the internal walls of SBA-15, which contributes to the spatial order and results in less-blocked mesopores. However, the aggregation of CuO takes place in CuCS material containing 6.7 mmol·g(-1) copper, which generates large CuO particles of 21.4 nm outside the mesopores. We reveal that the high dispersion extent of CuO is ascribed to the abundant silanols, as well as the confined space between template and silica walls provided by as-prepared SBA-15. The SPA strategy allows template removal and precursor conversion in one step, avoids the repeated calcination in conventional modification process, and saves time and energy. We also demonstrate that the CuAS material after autoreduction exhibits much better adsorptive desulfurization capacity than CuCS. Moreover, the adsorption capacity of regenerated adsorbent can be recovered completely.     

微孔/介孔复合分子筛的合成及其对CO2的吸附性能

采用两步晶化法将合成的沸石前驱液(S)或沸石固体粉末(P)经不同浓度(c)的NaOH处理后, 分别以表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)软模板或介孔炭(Meso-C)硬模板为导向剂, 自组装合成S-β-MCM41(c)、P-β-MCM41(c)、P-ZSM-MCM41(c)、P-ZSM-C系列微孔/介孔复合分子筛. 考察了沸石分子筛种类、碱处理液浓度以及介孔模板剂对合成复合分子筛结构与性能的影响. X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)和氮气吸附-脱附表征结果表明产物具有微孔/介孔多级孔结构. 该材料对CO₂的吸附能力比纯微孔或介孔材料均有明显提高, 其中P-ZSM-MCM41(2)的CO₂吸附容量最大可达1.51 mmol·g^-1, 为ZSM-5沸石吸附量的两倍多.     

ZSM-5-SBA-15复合分子筛制备及甲苯甲醇烷基化性能研究

采用后合成法制备了ZSM-5-SBA-15复合分子筛,通过XRD、FT-IR、BET、NH₃-TPD及吡啶红外等手段表征催化剂的性质。结果表明,ZSM-5-SBA-15既具有微孔结构又具有介孔结构。吡啶吸附和NH₃吸脱附实验结果表明,ZSM-5微孔分子筛的引入使SBA-15介孔分子筛的酸性增强,但与ZSM-5相比,ZSM-5-SBA-15复合分子筛的酸性位没有改变,酸强度有一定的减弱。用固定床评价了该复合分子筛甲苯甲醇烷基化反应的催化性能。结果表明,与常规ZSM-5相比,ZSM-5-SBA-15表现出了较高的对位选择性。     

Physical state of poorly water soluble therapeutic molecules loaded into SBA-15 ordered mesoporous silica carriers: a case study with itraconazole and ibuprofen

The ordered mesoporous silica material SBA-15 was loaded with the model drugs itraconazole and ibuprofen using three different procedures: (i) adsorption from solution, (ii) incipient wetness impregnation, and (iii) heating of a mixture of drug and SBA-15 powder. The location of the drug molecules in the SBA-15 particles and molecular interactions were investigated using nitrogen adsorption, TGA, DSC, DRS UV-vis, and XPS. The in vitro release of hydrophobic model drugs was evaluated in an aqueous environment simulating gastric fluid. The effectiveness of the loading method was found to be strongly compound dependent. Incipient wetness impregnation using a concentrated itraconazole solution in dichloromethane followed by solvent evaporation was most efficient for dispersing itraconazole in SBA-15. The itraconazole molecules were located on the mesopore walls and inside micropores of the mesopore walls. When SBA-15 was loaded by slurrying it in a diluted itraconazole solution from which the solvent was evaporated, the itraconazole molecules ended up in the mesopores that they plugged locally. At a loading of 30 wt %, itraconazole exhibited intermolecular interactions inside the mesopores revealed by UV spectroscopy and endothermic events traced with DSC. The physical mixing of itraconazole and SBA-15 powder followed by heating above the itraconazole melting temperature resulted in formulations in which glassy itraconazole particles were deposited externally on the SBA-15 particles. Loading with ibuprofen was successful with each of the three loading procedures. Ibuprofen preferably is positioned inside the micropores. In vitro release experiments showed fast release kinetics provided the drug molecules were evenly deposited over the mesoporous surface.     

Aqueous dye adsorption on ordered mesoporous carbons

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) with varying pore size, and microporous carbon, CFY, were synthesized using ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 and NaY zeolite as hard templates, respectively. N(2) adsorption tests show that the synthesized OMCs possess abundant mesopores and centralized mesopore distribution. Methylene blue (MB) and neutral red (NR) were used as probe molecules to investigate their adsorption behaviors on OMCs and CFY. As evidenced by adsorption tests, the volume of mesopores of which the pore size is larger than 3.5 nm is a crucial factor for the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of MB on OMCs. However, the most probable pore diameter of OMCs was found to be vital to the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of NR. Theoretical studies show that the adsorption kinetics of MB and NR on OMCs can be well depicted by using pseudo-second-order kinetic model.     

Grafting of alumina on SBA-15: effect of surface roughness

Alumina-grafted materials were prepared by postsynthesis alumination of mesoporous SBA-15 silica in an aqueous solution of aluminum chlorhydrol. Prepared samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and (27)Al magic-angle-spinning NMR. The successive grafting of alumina on SBA-15 leads to a gradual filling of the corona surrounding the mesopores. As a consequence smoothing of the mesopore surface takes place. The in-depth analysis of nitrogen adsorption data proves that the alpha s method affords real values of the structure parameters, while the Kruk, Jaroniec, and Sayari (KJS) procedure based on the BJH algorithm provides only effective data corresponding to cylindrical mesopores of smooth geometrical surface. The quantification of the roughness of the SBA-15 mesopore surface based on the comparison of data obtained from the alpha s plot and KJS method was carried out.     

Adsorption of hydrogen isotopes on micro- and mesoporous adsorbents with orderly structure

The equilibrium and dynamic adsorption data of H(2) and D(2) on different micro- and mesoporous adsorbents with orderly structure including 3A, 4A, 5A, Y, and 10X zeolites; carbon CMK-3; silica SBA-15; and so forth were collected. Critical effect of the nanodimension of adsorbents on the adsorption behavior of hydrogen and its isotopes is shown. The highest adsorption capacity was observed at pore size 0.7 nm, but equal or even larger isotope difference in the equilibrium adsorption was observed at larger pore sizes, whereas the largest isotope difference in the dynamic adsorption was observed at 0.5 nm. The adsorption rate of D(2) is larger than that of H(2) in microporous adsorbents, but the sequence could be switched over in mesoporous materials. Linear relationship was observed between the adsorption capacity for hydrogen and the specific surface area of adsorbents although the adsorbents are made of different material, which provides a convincing proof of the monolayer mechanism of hydrogen adsorption. The linear plot for microporous adsorbents has a larger slope than that for mesoporous adsorbents, which is attributed to the stronger adsorption potential in micropores.     

有序介孔二氧化硅对正丁醛的吸附性能

合成了一系列具有不同孔结构与性质的有序介孔二氧化硅材料SBA-15、MCM-41、SBA-16、KIT-6, 同时通过改变水热温度制备了不同孔径大小的SBA-15, 并利用小角X射线散射、透射电镜、扫描电镜和氮气吸附-脱附等手段, 对其介孔结构进行了表征. 以正丁醛为探针分子, 考察了其对有机醛的吸附, 并与Y-沸石的吸附性能做了对比. 结果表明, 材料的介孔比表面积与其对正丁醛的吸附量成正比, 吸附等温线符合Langmuir 模型, 属于单层吸附, 具有最大介孔比表面积的MCM-41对正丁醛的吸附量最大(484 mg·g^-1). 最后将SBA-15添加到卷烟滤嘴中, 实验结果表明, SBA-15能显著降低卷烟烟气中巴豆醛的释放量.     

有序介孔二氧化硅对正丁醛的吸附性能

合成了一系列具有不同孔结构与性质的有序介孔二氧化硅材料SBA-15、MCM-41、SBA-16、KIT-6,同时通过改变水热温度制备了不同孔径大小的SBA-15,并利用小角X射线散射、透射电镜、扫描电镜和氮气吸附-脱附等手段,对其介孔结构进行了表征.以正丁醛为探针分子,考察了其对有机醛的吸附,并与Y-沸石的吸附性能做了对比.结果表明,材料的介孔比表面积与其对正丁醛的吸附量成正比,吸附等温线符合Langmuir模型,属于单层吸附,具有最大介孔比表面积的MCM-41对正丁醛的吸附量最大(484 mg·g-1).最后将SBA-15添加到卷烟滤嘴中,实验结果表明,SBA-15能显著降低卷烟烟气中巴豆醛的释放量.     

Supramolecular Interactions and Morphology Control in Microwave Synthesis of Nanoporous Materials

Application of a microwave technique to the conventional hydrothermal process is gaining importance, especially, in the synthesis of nanoporous materials. This microwave technique is regarded as a novel synthesis tool because it gives several beneficial advantages such as homogeneous nucleation, rapid synthesis, formation of uniform crystals, and small crystallites, facile morphology control, energy efficiency and so on. Recently, it was found that it offers an efficient way to control the crystal morphology, size and orientation, and even crystalline phase which are required for many emerging applications of nanoporous materials. This review summarizes recent work on the microwave effect, supramolecular interactions and control of crystal morphology upon microwave synthesis of nanoporous materials performed by the present authors. Synthesis and morphology control of nanoporous materials such as ZSM-5, zeolite beta, metallosilicates, AlPO, MCM-41, SBA-15, SBA-16, etc. have been accomplished with microwave irradiation. In particular, the rapid nucleation and crystallization of ZSM-5 zeolite under microwave irradiation made it possible to enable the continuous microwave synthesis, implying a great industrial and technological importance. The formation of nanoporous materials, especially, silicate or aluminosilicate molecular sieves was described on the basis of supramolecular interactions between organic template molecules and silicate species under microwave irradiation. Besides decreasing synthesis time, it was duly demonstrated that the microwave technique provides an effective way to control particle size distribution and macroscopic morphology in the synthesis. Moreover, for the application of these porous materials, microwave-induced nanofabrication of microporous and mesoporous materials is more important than that of simple porous materials.     

萘在介孔分子筛MCM-41与SBA-15上的吸附特性研究

对低浓度气相萘在两种常见介孔分子筛MCM-41和SBA-15上的吸附特性进行研究。得到了萘在两种吸附剂上的吸附等温线和不同初始浓度下的穿透曲线,并分别与吸附等温线模型(Langmuir、Freundlich、D-R)和恒定浓度波动力学模型进行了拟合。结果表明, Langmuir模型能很好描述低浓度气相萘的吸附等温线(R²均在99%以上);具有微孔结构的SBA-15对萘的吸附能力要优于仅具备介孔结构的MCM-41。动力学模型在初始浓度较低时能较好地预测萘在吸附剂上的穿透曲线,且在SBA-15上的相关系数高于MCM-41;萘在2.76 mol/L时具有较大介孔的SBA-15的总传质系数K_a更高,表明萘在SBA-15上的总传质阻力更低,更能较快达到传质平衡。     

Copper benzene tricarboxylate metal-organic framework with wide permanent mesopores stabilized by Keggin polyoxometallate ions

Porous solids with organized multiple porosity are of scientific and technological importance for broadening the application range from traditional areas of catalysis and adsorption/separation to drug release and biomedical imaging. Synthesis of crystalline porous materials offering a network of uniform micro- and mesopores remains a major scientific challenge. One strategy is based on variation of synthesis parameters of microporous networks, such as, for example, zeolites or metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Here, we show the rational development of an hierarchical variant of the microporous cubic Cu(3)(BTC)(2) (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) HKUST-1 MOF having strictly repetitive 5 nm wide mesopores separated by uniform microporous walls in a single crystal structure. This new material coined COK-15 (COK = Centrum voor Oppervlaktechemie en Katalyse) was synthesized via a dual-templating approach. Stability was enhanced by Keggin type phosphotungstate (HPW) systematically occluded in the cavities constituting the walls between the mesopores.     

Structural and sorption properties of carbon replicas obtained by matrix carbonization of organic precursors in SBA-15 and KIT-6

We have carried out a comparative study of matrix carbonization of some organic precursors (sucrose, polydivinylbenzene, polyphenol-formaldehyde, polyacrylonitrile, acetonitrile) in SBA-15 and KIT-6 silica mesoporous molecular sieves. We have shown that carbon mesoporous molecular sieves of the CMK-8 type, obtained in KIT-6 mesopores, have better adsorption characteristics due to the features of the three-dimensional cubic structure, the larger pore volume and thickness of the walls of the framework. The maximum micropore volume is observed in CMK-3 and CMK-8, obtained by carbonization of polyphenol-formaldehyde and polydivinylbenzene, while the greatest specific surface area is observed on carbonization of sucrose, where the maximum hydrogen adsorption capacity is achieved at a level of ∼1.4 wt.% (77 K, 1 atm). We show that the mesopore surface coverage by hydrogen in carbon mesoporous molecular sieves increases as the degree of graphitization increases.     

Pt-doped semiconductive oxides loaded on mesoporous SBA-15 for gas sensing

SBA-15-based solids combining semiconductive oxides (Sn and In) and noble metal (Pt) were prepared by an incipient wet impregnation method in order to obtain materials for gas sensing. The materials were characterized by XRD, BET adsorption, SEM, and TEM. The BET analysis allowed obtaining details about the specific surface areas, pore size, and modifications due to the indium and/or tin oxides followed by the Pt deposition. XRD data revealed that In₂O₃ did not enter the mesopores of SBA-15, preventing also the entrance of the Pt nanoparticles in the mesopores. On the other hand, SnO₂ nanoparticles further doped with Pt could enter the mesoporous network, affording a SBA-15 material loaded with SnO₂ and very small Pt nanoparticles with high dispersion. Tablets obtained by pressing the modified SBA-15 were tested as sensitive materials for propene and hydrogen detection.