C−C Bond Formation in Syngas Conversion over Zinc Sites Grafted on ZSM-5 Zeolite

Despite significant progress achieved in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) technology, control of product selectivity remains a challenge in syngas conversion. Herein, we demonstrate that Zn²⁺-ion exchanged ZSM-5 zeolite steers syngas conversion selectively to ethane with its selectivity reaching as high as 86 % among hydrocarbons (excluding CO₂) at 20 % CO conversion. NMR spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence indicate that this is likely attributed to the highly dispersed Zn sites grafted on ZSM-5. Quasi-in-situ solid-state NMR, obtained by quenching the reaction in liquid N₂, detects C₂ species such as acetyl (-COCH₃) bonding with an oxygen, ethyl (-CH₂CH₃) bonding with a Zn site, and epoxyethane molecules adsorbing on a Zn site and a Brønsted acid site of the catalyst, respectively. These species could provide insight into C−C bond formation during ethane formation. Interestingly, this selective reaction pathway toward ethane appears to be general because a series of other Zn²⁺-ion exchanged aluminosilicate zeolites with different topologies (for example, SSZ-13, MCM-22, and ZSM-12) all give ethane predominantly. By contrast, a physical mixture of ZnO-ZSM-5 favors formation of hydrocarbons beyond C₃₊. These results provide an important guide for tuning the product selectivity in syngas conversion.     

Cooperative Carbon Dioxide Adsorption in Alcoholamine- and Alkoxyalkylamine-Functionalized Metal–Organic Frameworks

A series of structurally diverse alcoholamine- and alkoxyalkylamine-functionalized variants of the metal–organic framework Mg₂(dobpdc) are shown to adsorb CO₂ selectively via cooperative chain-forming mechanisms. Solid-state NMR spectra and optimized structures obtained from van der Waals-corrected density functional theory calculations indicate that the adsorption profiles can be attributed to the formation of carbamic acid or ammonium carbamate chains that are stabilized by hydrogen bonding interactions within the framework pores. These findings significantly expand the scope of chemical functionalities that can be utilized to design cooperative CO₂ adsorbents, providing further means of optimizing these powerful materials for energy-efficient CO₂ separations.     

Parahydrogen-Induced Radio Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Radio amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (RASER) was recently discovered in a low-field NMR spectrometer incorporating a highly specialized radio-frequency resonator, where a high degree of proton-spin polarization was achieved by reversible parahydrogen exchange. RASER activity, which results from the coherent coupling between the nuclear spins and the inductive detector, can overcome the limits of frequency resolution in NMR. Here we show that this phenomenon is not limited to low magnetic fields or the use of resonators with high-quality factors. We use a commercial bench-top 1.4 T NMR spectrometer in conjunction with pairwise parahydrogen addition producing proton-hyperpolarized molecules in the Earth's magnetic field (ALTADENA condition) or in a high magnetic field (PASADENA condition) to induce RASER without any radio-frequency excitation pulses. The results demonstrate that RASER activity can be observed on virtually any NMR spectrometer and measures most of the important NMR parameters with high precision.