Characterization of basic catalysts by the use of nitromethane as NMR probe molecule and reactant

Synthesis of β-nitrostyrenes in the presence of sulfated zirconia and secondary amines

A simple and efficient protocol for the synthesis of β-nitrostyrenes has been achieved by the use of sulfated zirconia–secondary amine cooperative systems.

Characterization of polysulfone and polysulfone/vanillin microcapsules by 1H NMR spectroscopy, solid-state 13C CP/MAS-NMR spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption analyses

Textile detergent and softener industries have incorporated perfume microencapsulation technology to improve their products. Perfume encapsulation allows perfume protection until use and provides a long-lasting fragrance release. But, certain industrial microcapsules show low encapsulation capacity and low material stability. Polysulfone capsules have been already proposed to solve these drawbacks. Among them, PSf/Vanillin capsules were considered as a desirable system. They present both good material stability and high encapsulation capacity. However, several factors such as the final location of the perfume in the polymeric matrix, the aggregation state that it has in the capsule and its interaction with the capsule components have not been studied yet. These factors can provide vast information about the capsule performance and its improvement. With the aim to characterize these parameters, the physical and chemical properties of PSf/Vanillin capsules have been investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and N(2) adsorption-desorption measurements. AFM micrograph and N(2) isotherms confirm that the presence of vanillin modify the physical structure of PSf/Vanillin microcapsules as it is trapped in the capsule porosity. NMR results show that vanillin is present in solid state in PSf/Vanillin microcapsules.

Thermokinetic study of the rehydration process of a calcined MgAl-layered double hydroxide

The rehydration process of a calcined MgAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) with a Mg/Al molar ratio of 3 was systematically analyzed at different temperatures and relative humidity. Qualitative and quantitative experiments were done. In the first set of samples, the temperature or the relative humidity was varied, fixing the second variable. Both adsorption and absorption phenomena were present; absorption process was associated to the LDH regeneration. Of course, in all cases the LDH regeneration was confirmed by other techniques such as TGA, solid state NMR, and SAXS. In the second set of experiments, a kinetic analysis was performed, the results allowed to obtain different activation enthalpies for the LDH regeneration as a function of the relative humidity. The activation enthalpies varied from 137.6 to 83.3 kJ/mol as a function of the relative humidity (50 and 80%, respectively). All these experiments showed that LDH regeneration is highly dependent on the temperature and relative humidity.

On the acid-base properties of microwave irradiated hydrotalcite-like compounds containing Zn2+ and Mn2+

Microwave irradiated lamellar double hydroxides containing different divalent metals (Mn2+, Zn2+, or Mg2+) were prepared with Al3+ as the trivalent metal. Samples containing Mn2+ and Zn2+ were unstable at 400 degrees C, leading to formation of mixed oxides and spinel phases. Acid-base properties of the samples were characterized by nitromethane and CO2 adsorption followed by FTIR spectroscopy. Decomposition of adsorbed nitromethane leads to isocyanate species that acts as probe molecules of acid-base sites at the surface. These properties determine the ability of materials to retain CO2. Indeed, whereas Mn-O sites are able to interact directly with CO2 molecules, Mg-O and Zn-O are able to form carbonate species as a result of the CO2 sorption.

Structural and textural evolution during folding of layers of layered double hydroxides

Layers of a layered double hydroxide, containing aluminum 4-fold coordinated, were partially folded in order to obtain a fibrous hydrotalcite-like compound. The hydrotalcite layers, in the presence of an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) after hydrothermal treatment for 2 weeks, acquire a mesoporous-like arrangement. The transformation was monitored by techniques sensitive to structural and textural properties. Results suggest that brucite-like layers can be joined throughout unsaturated coordinated aluminum, that is, tetrahedral aluminum which links through hydrogen bonds to form aluminum octahedrally coordinated. The fractal dimension parameter was very sensitive to evolution from layered to fibrous hydrotalcites.

The crucial role of the K+-aluminium oxide interaction in K+-promoted alumina- and hydrotalcite-based materials for CO2 sorption at high temperatures

CO(2)-free hydrogen can be produced from coal gasification power plants by pre-combustion decarbonisation and carbon dioxide capture. Potassium carbonate promoted hydrotalcite-based and alumina-based materials are cheap and excellent materials for high-temperature (300-500 degrees C) adsorption of CO(2), and particularly promising in the sorption-enhanced water gas shift (SEWGS) reaction. Alkaline promotion significantly improves CO(2) reversible sorption capacity at 300-500 degrees C for both materials. Hydrotalcites and promoted hydrotalcites, promoted magnesium oxide and promoted gamma-alumina were investigated by in situ analytical methods (IR spectroscopy, sorption experiments, X-ray diffraction) to identify structural and surface rearrangements. All experimental results show that potassium ions actually strongly interact with aluminium oxide centres in the aluminium-containing materials. This study unambiguously shows that potassium promotion of aluminium oxide centres in hydrotalcite generates basic sites which reversibly adsorb CO(2) at 400 degrees C.

19F Magic angle spinning NMR reporter molecules: empirical measures of surface shielding, polarisability and H-bonding

Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) (19)F NMR spectra have been obtained and chemical shifts measured for 37 molecules in the gas phase and adsorbed on the surfaces of six common materials: octadecyl- and octyl-functionalised chromatography silicas, Kieselgel 100 silica, Brockmann neutral alumina, Norit activated charcoal and 3-(1-piperidino)propyl functionalised silica. From these six surfaces, octadecyl-silica is selected as a non-polar reference to which the others are compared. The change in chemical shift of a fluorine nucleus within a molecule on adsorption to a surface from the gas phase, Deltadelta(gas)(surface), is described by the empirical relationship: Deltadelta(gas)(surface) = delta(s) + (alpha(s)+pi(s))/alpha(r) (Deltadelta(gas)(reference) - delta(r)) + delta(HBA) + delta(HBD), where delta(s) and delta(r) are constants that describe the chemical shift induced by the electromagnetic field of the surface under investigation and reference surface, alpha(s) and alpha(r) are the relative surface polarisability for the surface and reference, pi(s) is an additional contribution to the surface polarisabilities due to its ability to interact with aromatic molecules, and delta(HBA) and delta(HBD) are measurements of the hydrogen acceptor and donor properties of the surface. These empirical parameters are measured for the surfaces under study. Silica and alumina are found to undergo specific interactions with aromatic reporter molecules and both accept and donate H-bonds. Activated charcoal was found to have an extreme effect on shielding but no specific interactions with the adsorbed molecules. 3-(1-Piperidino)propyl functionalised silica exhibits H-bond acceptor ability, but does not donate H-bonds.