Location of the Fluoride Ion in Tetrapropylammonium Fluoride Silicalite-1 Determined by 1H/19F/29Si Triple Resonance CP, REDOR, and TEDOR NMR Experiments

A structure refinement strategy for NMR crystallography: an improved crystal structure of silica-ZSM-12 zeolite from 29Si chemical shift tensors

A strategy for performing crystal structure refinements with NMR chemical shift tensors is described in detail and implemented for the zeolite silica-ZSM-12 (framework type code MTW). The 29Si chemical shift tensors were determined from a slow magic-angle spinning spectrum obtained at an ultrahigh magnetic field of 21.1T. The Si and O atomic coordinate parameters were optimized to give the best agreement between experimentally measured and ab initio calculated principal components of the 29Si chemical shift tensors, with the closest Si-O, O-O, and Si-Si distances restrained to correspond with the distributions of the distances found in a set of single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) structures of high-silica zeolites. An improved structure for the silica-ZSM-12 zeolite, compared to a prior structure derived from powder XRD data, is obtained in which the agreement between the experimental and calculated 29Si chemical shift tensors is dramatically improved, the Si-O, O-O, and Si-Si distances correspond to the expected distributions, while the calculated powder XRD pattern remains in good agreement with the experimental powder XRD data. It is anticipated that this "NMR crystallography" structure refinement strategy will be an important tool for the accurate structure determination of materials that are difficult to fully characterize by traditional diffraction methods.

Computational study of 19F NMR spectra of double four ring-containing Si/Ge-zeolites

(19)F NMR chemical shifts are calculated in order to study the F(-) environment in double four ring (D4R) containing Si/Ge-zeolites. The calculations with the DFT/CSGT/B3PW91 methodology yielded an agreement within 2 ppm with respect to the experimental peaks corresponding to the D4R units containing 8Si0Ge, 7Si1Ge and 0Si8Ge of the octadecasil zeolite. The optimisation of the 7Si1Ge-, 6Si2Ge-, 5Si3Ge- and 4Si4Ge-D4R units with DFT/B3LYP methodology shows that a covalent Ge-F bond is formed and therefore a Ge atom in the D4R is pentacoordinated. The displacement of the fluoride ion towards a Ge atom in the Ge-containing D4R units locates four Si/Ge atoms in the close vicinity of the F(-) and this makes possible a rationalization of the (19)F NMR signals in groups according to the number of Si (n) and Ge (m) atoms in the nearest F(-) environment, F-Si(n)Ge(m) (where n+m=4). Thus, the calculated chemical shifts show that higher values are observed when the number of Ge atoms in the nearest F(-) environment increases.

Revisiting the identification of structural units in aqueous silicate solutions by two-dimensional silicon-29 INADEQUATE

(29)Si-(29)Si INADEQUATE experiments have been successfully used on sodium aqueous silicate partially enriched (19% of (29)Si isotope) solutions in order to gain connectivity information and to help in spectral assignments. The structures of almost all known species from the literature were confirmed by this technique. Moreover, accurate scalar J couplings were extracted. The two-dimensional (2D) spectra demonstrated additional cross correlations for some Si-Si bonds never reported before, representing additional oligomeric species. They reveal five silicate cages with the following connectivity sets: Q(2)-Q(2)-Q(3) or Q(3Delta)-Q(3Delta)-Q(3) for one species, Q(2)-Q(2) or Q(3Delta)-Q(3Delta) for three species (Q(3Delta) indicates a three-connected silicon in a three-membered cycle), and Q(3)-Q(3) for one species. All possible molecular graphs for anions containing silicon up to 11 atoms, matching these sequential connnectivities, were enumerated. Additionally, a direct comparison between resonances observed in the 2D experiments with that obtained in the 1D spectrum allows us to assign single-sited silicate anions. Only a few species reported before were not detected, most probably due to their too low concentration in our solutions.

Optimization, Standardization, and Testing of a New NMR Method for the Determination of Zeolite Host−Organic Guest Crystal Structures

An optimized and automated protocol for determining the location of guest sorbate molecules in highly siliceous zeolites from (29)Si INADEQUATE and (1)H/(29)Si cross polarization (CP) magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR experiments is described. With the peaks in the (29)Si MAS NMR spectrum assigned to the unique Si sites in the zeolite framework by a 2D (29)Si INADEQUATE experiment, the location of the sorbate molecule is found by systematically searching for sorbate locations for which the measured rates of (1)H/(29)Si cross polarization of the different Si sites correlate linearly with (1)H/(29)Si second moments calculated from H-Si distances. Due to the (1)H/(29)Si cross polarization being in the "slow CP regime" for many zeolite-sorbate complexes, it is proposed that the CP rate constants are best measured by (1)H/(29)Si cross polarization drain experiments, if possible, to avoid complications that may arise from fast (1)H and (29)Si T(1)rho relaxations. An algorithm for determining the sorbate molecule location is described in detail. A number of ways to effectively summarize and display the large number of solutions which typically result from a prediction of the structure from the CP MAS NMR data are presented, including estimates of the errors involved in the structure determinations. As a working example throughout this paper, the structure of the low loaded p-dichlorobenzene/ZSM-5 complex is determined under different conditions from solid-state (1)H/(29)Si CP MAS NMR data, and the solutions are shown to be in excellent agreement with the known single-crystal X-ray diffraction structure. This structure determination approach is shown to be quite insensitive to the use of relative rate constants rather than absolute values, to the detailed structure of the zeolite framework, and relatively insensitive to temperature and motions.

Studies of silicophosphate derivatives by 31P-->29Si CP MAS NMR

We show that it is possible to efficiently transfer magnetization from 31P to 29Si, using variable amplitude CP MAS experiment. This experiment is demonstrated by using Si5O(PO4)6, the synthesis protocol of which is described. From the obtained results, we show that the experiment allows the spectral edition of 29Si spectra from 31P-->29Si CP, enabling the studies of derivatives involving Si-O-P linkages, such as phosphosilicate glasses, microporous silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO) and bioactive phosphosilicates.

Studies on the Role of Fluoride Ion vs Reaction Concentration in Zeolite Synthesis

This work is an experimental response to an intriguing paper recently published by Catlow and co-workers, which looked at the computational feasibility of fluorine location in three different all-silica zeotypes (Attfield, M. P.; Catlow, C. R. A.; Sokol, A. A. Chem. Mater. 2001, 13, 4708). The materials were chosen as representative of three unique host locations. Our present work examined the synthesis of zeotypes AST, IFR, and MTT using organo-cations with a strong preference for crystallizing these structures. We studied the effect of reaction time and the H(2)O/SiO(2) reactant ratio. The latter is probably the most important function in these zeolite crystallizations that use HF. As reaction conditions became more dilute, AST gave way to SGT and IFR to MTW as host structures, while the MTT synthesis was invariant. Our reactions were studied in terms of product yield vs time, product organo-cation content, fluorine content, and the representative (29)Si and (19)F NMR spectra for certain samples. A single crystal study was carried out for a sample of MTT. Our results showed that, consistent with other recent studies, low H(2)O/SiO(2) reactant ratios lead to more open framework host structures (i.e., IFR vs MTW), and there is typically a higher uptake of organo-cation and fluorine. The structure may well contain a higher population of 4-rings within the silicate substructure. While MTT that contains no 4-rings was chosen as the best possible candidate to achieve an ion-pair for the organo-cation and fluoride anion within the silicate host, both NMR and single crystal work confirm that fluoride is bonded to a 5-coordinate silica center within the lattice.

An efficient peak assignment algorithm for two-dimensional NMR correlation spectra of framework structures

An algorithm is described for efficiently assigning the resonances in NMR spectra to the inequivalent atoms in the structure under study based on the information in two-dimensional NMR correlation experiments and the 'connectivities' known from the structure. The algorithm, which is based on basic graph theory concepts, finds all possible assignments sets which are consistent with the experimentally observed correlations and known connectivities in a very efficient manner. It is designed to deal with less than ideal experimental data in which there may be overlapping peaks and uncertainty about the presence or absence of correlation peaks. The algorithm was primarily developed for assigning the peaks in the high-resolution solid-state 29Si MAS NMR spectra of highly siliceous zeolites based on two-dimensional 29Si INADEQUATE spectra and is described using the zeolites ZSM-12 and ZSM-5 as working examples. Peak assignment for zeolite frameworks is particularly challenging since there is often little or no information to distinguish peaks from one another such as characteristic chemical shifts, relative intensities, or different relaxation times. The algorithm may be a useful tool for easily, reliably, and efficiently working out peak assignments from other types of correlation experiments on other types of systems and further examples are provided in the Supplementary material.

Solid-state NMR spectroscopic methods in chemistry

Over the last decades, NMR spectroscopy has grown into an indispensable tool for chemical analysis, structure determination, and the study of dynamics in organic, inorganic, and biological systems. It is commonly used for a wide range of applications from the characterization of synthetic products to the study of molecular structures of systems such as catalysts, polymers, and proteins. Although most NMR experiments are performed on liquid-state samples, solid-state NMR is rapidly emerging as a powerful method for the study of solid samples and materials. This Review outlines some of the developments of solid-state NMR spectroscopy, including techniques such as cross-polarization, magic-angle spinning, multiple-pulse sequences, homo- and heteronuclear decoupling and recoupling techniques, multiple-quantum spectroscopy, and dynamic angle spinning, as well as their applications to structure determination. Modern solid-state NMR spectroscopic techniques not only produce spectra with a resolution close to that of liquid-state spectra, but also capitalize on anisotropic interactions, which are often unavailable for liquid samples. With this background, the future of solid-state NMR spectroscopy in chemistry appears to be promising, indeed.

19F/29Si rotational-echo double-resonance and heteronuclear spin counting under fast magic-angle spinning in fluoride-containing octadecasil

19F/29Si rotational-echo double-resonance (REDOR) and theta-REDOR NMR techniques have been applied under fast magic-angle spinning to a powder sample of fluoride-containing octadecasil. Efficient dipolar recoupling was observed and the effect of finite pulse lengths was found to be negligible using standard radiofrequency field strengths. Moreover, the determined internuclear distance of the 19F-29Si spin pairs formed by the silicons in the D4R units (T-1 site) and the fluoride anions is in very good agreement with previous REDOR and Hartmann-Hahn cross-polarization measurements. Numerical simulation of the REDOR dephasing curves at both the T-1 and T-2 sites considering all fluoride anions in the infinite solid lattice clearly confirm the X-ray crystal structure of octadecasil. Heteronuclear spin-counting theta-REDOR experiments are found to be very useful to obtain direct insight into the local network of dipolar interactions. Indeed, while 19F-29Si pair-like behavior is confirmed at the T-1 site, multiple dipolar interactions are clearly evidenced at the T-2 site.

Combined solid state NMR and X-ray diffraction investigation of the local structure of the five-coordinate silicon in fluoride-containing as-synthesized STF zeolite

The local structure of the [SiO(4/2)F]- unit in fluoride-containing as-synthesized STF zeolite has been experimentally determined by a combination of solid-state NMR and microcrystal X-ray diffraction to be very close to trigonal bipyramidal. Because the fluoride ions are disordered over two sites, the resulting local structure of the [SiO(4/2)F]- unit from a conventional XRD refinement is an average between tetrahedral SiO(4/2) and five-coordinate [[SiO(4/2)F]-, giving an apparent F-Si distance longer than expected. The correct F-Si distance was determined by slow spinning MAS and fast spinning (19)F/(29)Si CP and REDOR solid-state NMR experiments and found to be between 1.72 and 1.79 A. In light of this, the X-ray structure was re-refined, including the disorder at Si3. The resulting local structure of the [SiO(4/2)F]- unit was very close to trigonal bipyramidal with a F-Si distance of 1.744 (6) A, in agreement with the NMR results and the prediction of Density Functional Theory calculations. In addition, further evidence for the existence of a covalent F-Si bond is provided by a (19)F-->(29)Si refocused INEPT experiment. The resonance for the five-coordinate species at -147.5 ppm in the (29)Si spectrum is a doublet due to the (19)F/(29)Si J-coupling of 165 Hz. The peaks in this doublet have remarkably different effective chemical shift anisotropies due to the interplay of the CSA, dipolar coupling, and J-coupling tensors. The distortions from tetrahedral geometry of the neighboring silicon atoms to the five-coordinate Si3 atom are manifested in increased delta(aniso) values. This information, along with F-Si distances measured by (19)F-->(29)Si CP experiments, makes it possible to assign half of the (29)Si resonances to unique tetrahedral sites. As well as determining the local geometry of the [SiO(4/2)F]- unit, the work presented here demonstrates the complementarity of the solid-state NMR and X-ray diffraction techniques and the advantages of using them together.

The location and ordering of fluoride ions in pure silica zeolites with framework types IFR and STF; implications for the mechanism of zeolite synthesis in fluoride media

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies carried out at a synchrotron radiation source have allowed the structure solution and location of fluoride ions inside as-made pure silica zeolites with the IFR and STF framework structures. The local environment of the fluoride has been identified, and unusual ordering of the fluoride ions has been discovered in both cases. The details of the crystal structures are used to suggest structural features that are important in determining the ordering of fluoride ions in zeolites. A mechanism for how the fluoride ordering occurs is suggested for IFR and STF based on the local structure of small cages that make up these zeolites, and the implications for the mechanism of crystal growth are discussed.