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Potts DS, Komar JK, Jacobson MA, Locht H, Flaherty DW. Consequences of Pore Polarity and Solvent Structure on Epoxide Ring-Opening in Lewis and Brønsted Acid Zeolites. JACS AU 2024; 4:3501-3518. [PMID: 39328744 PMCID: PMC11423312 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
The structure of solvent molecules within zeolite pores influences the rates and selectivities of catalytic reactions by altering the free energies of reactive species. Here, we examine the consequences of these effects on the kinetics and thermodynamics of 1,2-epoxybutane (C4H8O) ring-opening with methanol (CH3OH) in acetonitrile (CH3CN) cosolvent over Lewis acidic (Zr-BEA) and Brønsted acidic (Al-BEA) zeolites of varying (SiOH) x density. Despite ostensibly identical reaction mechanisms across materials, turnover rates depend differently on (SiOH) x density between acid types. (SiOH) x -rich Zr-BEA (Zr-BEA-OH) provides ∼10 times greater rates than a (SiOH) x -poor material (Zr-BEA-F), while Al-BEA-OH and Al-BEA-F give turnover rates within a factor of 2. Zr-BEA-OH shows more positive activation enthalpies and entropies than Zr-BEA-F across the range of [CH3OH], which reflect the displacement of solvent molecules and lead to greater rates in Zr-BEA-OH due to the dominant role of entropic gains. Measurements of the density and composition of solvent within the pores show that the (SiOH) x nests within Zr-BEA-OH promote hydrogen-bonded solvent structures distinct from Zr-BEA-F, while the Brønsted acid sites confer interactions similar to (SiOH) x nests and give solvent structures within Al-BEA-F that resemble those within Al-BEA-OH. Correlations between apparent activation enthalpies and C4H8O adsorption enthalpies show that interactions with solvent molecules give proportional changes to both C4H8O adsorption and ring-opening transition state formation. The differences in intrapore environment carry consequences for both rates and regioselectivities of epoxide ring-opening, as demonstrated by product regioselectivities that increase by a factor of 3 in response to changes in solvent composition and the type of acid site in the *BEA structure (i.e., Lewis or Brønsted). These results demonstrate the ability to control rates, regioselectivities, and adsorption thermodynamics relevant for industrially relevant liquid-phase reactions through the design of noncovalent interactions among solvating molecules, reactive species, and (SiOH) x functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Potts
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jessica K Komar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Matthew A Jacobson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Huston Locht
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - David W Flaherty
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Sharlin S, Lozano RA, Josephson TR. Monte Carlo Simulations of Water Pollutant Adsorption at Parts-per-Billion Concentration: A Study on 1,4-Dioxane. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:5854-5865. [PMID: 38984690 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
1,4-dioxane, an emerging water pollutant with high production volumes, is a probable human carcinogen. The inadequacy of conventional treatment processes demonstrates the need for an effective remediation strategy. Crystalline nanoporous materials are cost-effective adsorbents due to their high capacity and selective separation in mixtures. This study explores the potential of all-silica zeolites for the separation of 1,4-dioxane from water. These zeolites are highly hydrophobic and can preferentially adsorb nonpolar molecules from mixtures. We investigated six zeolite frameworks (BEA, EUO, FER, IFR, MFI, and MOR) using Monte Carlo simulations in the Gibbs ensemble. The simulations indicate high selectivity by FER and EUO, especially at low pressures, which we attribute to pore sizes and shapes with a greater affinity to 1,4-dioxane. We also demonstrate a Monte Carlo simulation workflow using gauge cells to model the adsorption of an aqueous solution of 1,4-dioxane at a 0.35 ppb concentration. We quantify 1,4-dioxane and water coadsorption and observe selectivities ranging from 1.1 × 105 in MOR to 8.7 × 106 in FER. We also demonstrate that 1,4-dioxane is in the infinite dilution regime in the aqueous phase at this concentration. This simulation technique can be extended to model other emerging water contaminants such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chlorofluorocarbons, and others, which are also found in extremely low concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samiha Sharlin
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, United States
| | - Rodrigo A Lozano
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, 1120 E Peltason Dr, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Tyler R Josephson
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, United States
- Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, United States
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Vega-Vila JC, Holkar A, Arnold RA, Prentice DP, Dong S, Tang L, La Plante EC, Ellison K, Kumar A, Bauchy M, Srivastava S, Sant G, Simonetti D. Metal cations as inorganic structure-directing agents during the synthesis of phillipsite and tobermorite. REACT CHEM ENG 2023. [DOI: 10.1039/d2re00466f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Metal cation identity determines the zeolite topology. Framework topology determines the total zeolite cationic content. Potassium predominantly counterbalances Al anions; sodium and calcium are predominantly structure-directing agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Vega-Vila
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Advait Holkar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ross A. Arnold
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dale P. Prentice
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shiqi Dong
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Longwen Tang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erika Callagon La Plante
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Kirk Ellison
- Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Aditya Kumar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA
| | - Mathieu Bauchy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samanvaya Srivastava
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gaurav Sant
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dante Simonetti
- Institute for Carbon Management (ICM), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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