Dynamics of CO2 molecules confined in the micropores of solids as studied by C NMR

The pressure and temperature dependence of ¹³C NMR of CO₂ adsorbed in several porous materials was measured. For CO₂ in activated carbon fiber (ACF), the spectrum observed in the pressure range from 0 to 10 MPa consisted of two lines. A very sharp peak at δ = 126 ppm was attributed to free CO₂ gas and a broad peak at δ = 123 ppm was attributed to confined CO₂ molecules in the micropores of ACF, although CO₂ in microporous materials such as zeolites and mesoporous silica, gave only a single peak attributed to free CO₂ gas. In the low-pressure region, the peak at δ = 123 ppm shifted to 118 ppm and a very broad peak with a line width of about 200 ppm appeared. This indicates that there are two kinds of CO₂ molecules confined in ACF with different rates of molecular motion: one is undergoing isotropic rotation and the other is undergoing anisotropic motion, which rotates around an axis tilted by 30° from the molecular axis. This implies that small pockets with a characteristic diameter exist on the surface of the ACF micropore.