NMR Study of Pore Surface and Size in a Mesoporous Material FSM-16

Surface structure, pore size distribution and pore wall thickness of a mesoporous material FSM-16 have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ^lH and ²⁹Si MAS NMR and ¹H liquid-state NMR, and by applying surface silylation as a probe. Concentrations of surface hydroxyl groups for FSM-16 are estimated from ²⁹Si and ¹H MAS NMR, which are about 3×l0²¹ g^-1, corresponding to approximately 3 nm^-2. O₂ molecules contribute to ²⁹Si spin-lattice relaxation of Q² and Q³ as well as Q⁴, suggesting thin wall thickness. ¹H MAS NMR spectra indicate the presence of isolated and hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups. Both hydroxyl groups are silylated, where the silylated fraction is about 50%. The spatial distribution of surface hydroxyl groups is estimated from the line width in ¹H static spectra. A rather homogeneous distribution is demonstrated in one of the samples. The sample with less homogeneous distribution has a larger affinity for moisture. Pore size and pore wall thickness were determined by ¹H NMR measurements on water saturated FSM-16 samples, which are in good agreement with literature values obtained by N₂ adsorption isotherms and transmission electron micrographs on a similar sample. In benzene saturated samples, a non-freezing surface layer of benzene is much thicker than that of water, which indicates a stronger interaction between benzene and the FSM-16 surface.