Supramolecular steric effects as the means of making reactive carbon radicals persistent. Quantitative characterization of the external surface of MFI zeolites through a persistent radical probe and a langmuir adsorption isotherm

The photochemistry of tetraphenylacetone (1) adsorbed on the external surface of a MFI zeolite (the sodium form of LZ-105) has been investigated in combination with computational chemistry, surface area measurements, EPR analysis, and classical adsorption isotherms. All of the methods are consistent with a supramolecular structural model in which 1 is first adsorbed strongly through intercalation of a single benzene ring into a hole on the LZ-105 external surface (site I) followed by a weaker binding to the external framework between the holes (site II) until a monolayer of 1 is formed. From both computational and surface area measurements, it is estimated that the site I holes on the external surface will be filled at ca. 0.3-0.5 wt %/wt loading of 1/LZ-105, which corresponds to 6.5 x 10(18) (ca. 10(-)(5) mol) of holes or molecules of 1 adsorbed in holes per gram of zeolite. The supramolecular composition of ca. 0.3-0.5% of 1 on LZ-105 characterizes a "break point" for the photochemistry and the EPR measurements, since it represents the value for saturation of the site I holes with 1. These conclusions are supported quantitatively by experimental isotherms of the adsorption of 1 on LZ-105. Photolysis of 1 intercalated in the site I holes causes fragmentation into two isomeric supramolecular diphenylmethyl (DPM) radicals, one (DMP)(in) which is adsorbed into the internal surface and becomes strongly persistent (half-life of many weeks) and the other (DMP)(ex) which diffuses on the external surface and rapidly dimerizes (less than a few minutes) to produce the radical-radical combination product tetraphenylethane (2). Photolysis of 1 adsorbed on the solid external surface produces two supramolecularly equivalent DPM radicals (DMP)(ex) that diffuse on the external surface and rapidly dimerize to produce 2, and do not produce persistent DPM radicals.