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Houlleberghs M, Radhakrishnan S, Chandran CV, Morais AF, Martens JA, Breynaert E. Harnessing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Decipher Structure and Dynamics of Clathrate Hydrates in Confinement: A Perspective. Molecules 2024; 29:3369. [PMID: 39064947 PMCID: PMC11279878 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29143369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This perspective outlines recent developments in the field of NMR spectroscopy, enabling new opportunities for in situ studies on bulk and confined clathrate hydrates. These hydrates are crystalline ice-like materials, built up from hydrogen-bonded water molecules, forming cages occluding non-polar gaseous guest molecules, including CH4, CO2 and even H2 and He gas. In nature, they are found in low-temperature and high-pressure conditions. Synthetic confined versions hold immense potential for energy storage and transportation, as well as for carbon capture and storage. Using previous studies, this report highlights static and magic angle spinning NMR hardware and strategies enabling the study of clathrate hydrate formation in situ, in bulk and in nano-confinement. The information obtained from such studies includes phase identification, dynamics, gas exchange processes, mechanistic studies and the molecular-level elucidation of the interactions between water, guest molecules and confining interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Houlleberghs
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis—Characterization and Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sambhu Radhakrishnan
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis—Characterization and Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- NMR/X-ray Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - C. Vinod Chandran
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis—Characterization and Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- NMR/X-ray Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alysson F. Morais
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis—Characterization and Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- NMR/X-ray Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan A. Martens
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis—Characterization and Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eric Breynaert
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis—Characterization and Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- NMR/X-ray Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F—Box 2461, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Liu B, Zhang B, Liu B, Hu Z, Dai W, Zhang J, Feng F, Lan B, Zhang T, Huang H. Surface Hydroxyl and Oxygen Vacancies Engineering in ZnSnAl LDH: Synergistic Promotion of Photocatalytic Oxidation of Aromatic VOCs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:4404-4414. [PMID: 38310571 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Photocatalytic oxidation has gained great interest in environmental remediation, but it is still limited by its low efficiency and catalytic deactivation in the degradation of aromatic VOCs. In this study, we concurrently regulated the surface hydroxyl and oxygen vacancies by introducing Al into ZnSn layered double hydroxide (LDH). The presence of distorted Al species induced local charge redistribution, leading to the remarkable formation of oxygen vacancies. These oxygen vacancies subsequently increased the amount of surface hydroxyl and elongated its bond length. The synergistic effects of surface hydroxyl and oxygen vacancies greatly enhanced reactant adsorption-activation and facilitated charge transfer to generate •OH, •O2-, and 1O2, resulting in highly efficient oxidation and ring-opening of various aromatic VOCs. Compared with commercial TiO2, the optimized ZnSnAl-50 catalyst exhibited about 2-fold activity for the toluene and styrene degradation and 10-fold activity for the chlorobenzene degradation. Moreover, ZnSnAl-50 demonstrated exceptional stability in the photocatalytic oxidation of toluene under a wide humidity range of 0-75%. This work marvelously improves the photocatalytic efficiency, stability, and adaptability through a novel strategy of surface hydroxyl and oxygen vacancies engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biyuan Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Environment, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015, P. R. China
| | - Boge Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Biying Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Zhuofeng Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Dai
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Jiarui Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Fada Feng
- School of Chemistry and Environment, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015, P. R. China
| | - Bang Lan
- School of Chemistry and Environment, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015, P. R. China
| | - Tao Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Haibao Huang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
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Morais AF, Silva IGN, Ferreira BJ, Teixeira AC, Sree SP, Terraschke H, Garcia FA, Breynaert E, Mustafa D. Eu 3+ doped ZnAl layered double hydroxides as calibrationless, fluorescent sensors for carbonate. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:13571-13574. [PMID: 37902297 PMCID: PMC10644987 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc03066k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
The photoluminescence properties (PL) of Eu3+ hosted in the hydroxide layers of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) enables calibrationless quantification of anions in the interlayers. The concept is demonstrated during the nitrate-to-carbonate ion exchange in Zn2+/Al3+/Eu3+ LDHs and can be implemented as a remote optical sensor to detect intrusion of anions such as Cl- or CO32-.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alysson F Morais
- Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
- Center for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
- NMR/X-Ray platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ivan G N Silva
- Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Bruno J Ferreira
- Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Alexandre C Teixeira
- Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Sreeprasanth P Sree
- Center for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Fernando A Garcia
- Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Eric Breynaert
- Center for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, KU Leuven, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
- NMR/X-Ray platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Danilo Mustafa
- Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Asselman K, Kirschhock C, Breynaert E. Illuminating the Black Box: A Perspective on Zeolite Crystallization in Inorganic Media. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2391-2402. [PMID: 37566703 PMCID: PMC10515482 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
ConspectusSince the discovery of synthetic zeolites in the 1940s and their implementation in major industrial processes involving adsorption, catalytic conversion, and ion exchange, material scientists have targeted the rational design of zeolites: controlling synthesis to crystallize zeolites with predetermined properties. Decades later, the fundamentals of zeolite synthesis remain largely obscured in a black box, rendering rational design elusive. A major prerequisite to rational zeolite design is to fully understand, and control, the elementary processes governing zeolite nucleation, growth, and stability. The molecular-level investigation of these processes has been severely hindered by the complex multiphasic media in which aluminosilicate zeolites are typically synthesized. This Account documents our recent progress in crystallizing zeolites from synthesis media based on hydrated silicate ionic liquids (HSIL), a synthesis approach facilitating the evaluation of the individual impacts of synthesis parameters such as cation type, water content, and alkalinity on zeolite nucleation, growth, and phase selection. HSIL-based synthesis allows straightforward elucidation of the relationship between the characteristics of the synthesis medium and the properties and structure of the crystalline product. This assists in deriving new insights in zeolite crystallization in an inorganic aluminosilicate system, thus improving the conceptual understanding of nucleation and growth in the context of inorganic zeolite synthesis in general. This Account describes in detail what hydrated silicate ionic liquids are, how they form, and how they assist in improving our understanding of zeolite genesis on a molecular level. It describes the development of ternary phase diagrams for inorganic aluminosilicate zeolites via a systematic screening of synthesis compositions. By evaluating obtained crystal structure properties such as framework composition, topology, and extraframework cation distributions, critical questions are dealt with: Which synthesis variables govern the aluminum content of crystallizing zeolites? How does the aluminum content in the framework determine the expression of different topologies? The crucial role of the alkali cation, taking center stage in all aspects of crystallization, phase selection, and, by extension, transformation is also discussed. New criteria and models for phase selection are proposed, assisting in overcoming the need for excessive trial and error in the development of future synthesis protocols.Recent progress in the development of a toolbox enabling liquid-state characterization of these precursor media has been outlined, setting the stage for the routine monitoring of zeolite crystallization in real time. Current endeavors on and future needs for the in situ investigation of zeolite crystallization are highlighted. Finally, experimentally accessible parameters providing opportunities for modeling zeolite nucleation and growth are identified. Overall, this work provides a perspective toward future developments, identifying research areas ripe for investigation and discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Asselman
- Center
for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis − Characterization and
Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christine Kirschhock
- Center
for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis − Characterization and
Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eric Breynaert
- Center
for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis − Characterization and
Application Team (COK-KAT), KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- NMR/X-ray
Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Mohan M, Andersen ABA, Mareš J, Jensen ND, Nielsen UG, Vaara J. Unravelling the effect of paramagnetic Ni 2+ on the 13C NMR shift tensor for carbonate in Mg 2-xNi xAl layered double hydroxides by quantum-chemical computations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:24081-24096. [PMID: 37655469 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03053a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Structural disorder and low crystallinity render it challenging to characterise the atomic-level structure of layered double hydroxides (LDH). We report a novel multi-step, first-principles computational workflow for the analysis of paramagnetic solid-state NMR of complex inorganic systems such as LDH, which are commonly used as catalysts and energy storage materials. A series of 13CO32--labelled Mg2-xNixAl-LDH, x ranging from 0 (Mg2Al-LDH) to 2 (Ni2Al-LDH), features three distinct eigenvalues δ11, δ22 and δ33 of the experimental 13C chemical shift tensor. The δii correlate directly with the concentration of the paramagnetic Ni2+ and span a range of |δ11 - δ33| ≈ 90 ppm at x = 0, increasing to 950 ppm at x = 2. In contrast, the isotropic shift, δiso(13C), only varies by -14 ppm in the series. Detailed insight is obtained by computing (1) the orbital shielding by periodic density-functional theory involving interlayer water, (2) the long-range pseudocontact contribution of the randomly distributed Ni2+ ions in the cation layers (characterised by an ab initio susceptibility tensor) by a lattice sum, and (3) the close-range hyperfine terms using a full first-principles shielding machinery. A pseudohydrogen-terminated two-layer cluster model is used to compute (3), particularly the contact terms. Due to negative spin density contribution at the 13C site arising from the close-by Ni2+ sites, this step is necessary to reach a semiquantitative agreement with experiment. These findings influence future NMR investigations of the formally closed-shell interlayer species within LDH, such as the anions or water. Furthermore, the workflow is applicable to a variety of complex materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Mohan
- NMR Research Unit, P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014 University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Anders B A Andersen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark.
| | - Jiří Mareš
- NMR Research Unit, P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014 University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Nicholai Daugaard Jensen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark.
| | - Ulla Gro Nielsen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark.
| | - Juha Vaara
- NMR Research Unit, P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014 University of Oulu, Finland.
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