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Gover RKE, Chamberlain TW, Sarre PJ, Khlobystov AN. Piecing Together Large Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Fullerenes: A Combined ChemTEM Imaging and MALDI-ToF Mass Spectrometry Approach. Front Chem 2021; 9:700562. [PMID: 34195176 PMCID: PMC8238087 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.700562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivated by their importance in chemistry, physics, astronomy and materials science, we investigate routes to the formation of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules and the fullerene C60 from specific smaller PAH building blocks. The behaviour of selected PAH molecules under electron (using transmission electron microscopy, TEM) and laser irradiation is examined, where four specific PAHs—anthracene, pyrene, perylene and coronene—are assembling into larger structures and fullerenes. This contrasts with earlier TEM studies in which large graphene flakes were shown to transform into fullerenes via a top-down route. A new combined approach is presented in which spectrometric and microscopic experimental techniques exploit the stabilisation of adsorbed molecules through supramolecular interactions with a graphene substrate and enable the molecules to be characterised and irradiated sequentially. Thereby allowing initiation of transformation and characterisation of the resultant species by both mass spectrometry and direct-space imaging. We investigate the types of large PAH molecule that can form from smaller PAHs, and discuss the potential of a “bottom-up” followed by “top-down” mechanism for forming C60.
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Affiliation(s)
- R K E Gover
- School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - T W Chamberlain
- School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Institute of Process Research and Development, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - P J Sarre
- School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - A N Khlobystov
- School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Sabbah H, Commodo M, Picca F, De Falco G, Minutolo P, D’Anna A, Joblin C. Molecular content of nascent soot: Family characterization using two-step laser desorption laser ionization mass spectrometry. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMBUSTION INSTITUTE. INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON COMBUSTION 2020; 38:1241-1248. [PMID: 33850480 PMCID: PMC7610591 DOI: 10.1016/j.proci.2020.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Molecules constituting nascent soot particles have been analyzed by two-step laser desorption laser ionization mass spectrometry. Three samples have been collected from a slightly sooting ethylene/air premixed flame with the aim to investigate soot composition in the transition from nucleated to just-grown soot particles. Sampling locations have been selected based on the evolution of the particle size distribution along the flame axis. The mass spectrometric results point to a strong evolution of the molecular composition. Just-nucleated soot is rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) dominated by medium sizes from 18 to 40 carbon atoms but containing sizes as large as 90 carbon atoms. Most abundant PAHs are in the form of peri-condensed structures. The presence of a large fraction of odd numbered carbon species shows that pentagonal cycles are a common feature of the detected population. Increasing the distance from the burner outlet, i.e., the particle residence time in flame, leads to an evolution of the chemical composition of this population with a major contribution of carbon clusters including also fullerenes up to about 160 carbon atoms. Our data support a scenario in which large PAHs containing pentagonal rings evolve very efficiently upon thermal processing by a series of dehydrogenation and isomerization processes to form fullerenes. This chemistry happens in the early steps of soot growth showing that carbonization is already active at this stage. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Combustion Institute. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Sabbah
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
(IRAP), Université de Toulouse (UPS), CNRS, CNES, 9 Av. du Colonel Roche,
31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Mario Commodo
- Istituto di Ricerche sulla Combustione, CNR, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125
Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesca Picca
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione
Industriale - Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80,
80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Gianluigi De Falco
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione
Industriale - Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80,
80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Patrizia Minutolo
- Istituto di Ricerche sulla Combustione, CNR, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125
Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea D’Anna
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione
Industriale - Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80,
80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Christine Joblin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
(IRAP), Université de Toulouse (UPS), CNRS, CNES, 9 Av. du Colonel Roche,
31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
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Martin JW, Nyadong L, Ducati C, Manley-Harris M, Marshall AG, Kraft M. Nanostructure of Gasification Charcoal (Biochar). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:3538-3546. [PMID: 30865828 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we investigate the molecular composition and nanostructure of gasification charcoal (biochar) by comparing it with heat-treated fullerene arc-soot. Using ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion-cyclotron resonance and laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy we analyzed charcoal of low tar content obtained from gasification. Mass spectrometry revealed no magic number fullerenes such as C60 or C70 in the charcoal. The positive molecular ion m/ z 701, previously considered a graphitic part of the nanostructure, was found to be a breakdown product of pyrolysis and not part of the nanostructure. A higher mass distribution of ions similar to that found in thermally treated fullerene soot indicates that they share a nanostructure. Recent insights into the formation of all carbon fullerenes reveal that conditions in charcoal formation are not optimal for the formation of fullerenes, but instead, curved carbon structures coalesce into fulleroid-like structures. Microscopy and spectroscopy support such a stacked, fulleroid-like nanostructure, which was explored using reactive molecular dynamics simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob W Martin
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology , University of Cambridge , Philippa Fawcett Drive, West Site , CB3 0AS Cambridge , U.K
| | - Leonard Nyadong
- Phillips 66 Research Center , Highway 60 & 123, Bartlesville , Oklahoma 74003-6607 , United States
| | - Caterina Ducati
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy , University of Cambridge , Philippa Fawcett Drive, West Site , CB3 0FS Cambridge , U.K
| | | | - Alan G Marshall
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory , Florida State University , 1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive , Tallahassee , Florida 32310-4005 , United States
| | - Markus Kraft
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology , University of Cambridge , Philippa Fawcett Drive, West Site , CB3 0AS Cambridge , U.K
- Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES) , CREATE Tower, 1 Create Way, Singapore 138602
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , 62 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637459
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Álvaro Galué H, Díaz Leines G. Origin of Spectral Band Patterns in the Cosmic Unidentified Infrared Emission. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 119:171102. [PMID: 29219461 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.119.171102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The cosmic unidentified infrared emission (UIE) band phenomenon is generally considered as indicative of free-flying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules in space. However, a coherent explanation of emission spectral band patterns depending on astrophysical source is yet to be resolved under this attribution. Meanwhile astronomers have restored the alternative origin as due to amorphous carbon particles, but assigning spectral patterns to specific structural elements of particles is equally challenging. Here we report a physical principle in which inclusion of nonplanar structural defects in aromatic core molecular structures (π domains) induces spectral patterns typical of the phenomenon. We show that defects in model π domains modulate the electronic-vibration coupling that activates the delocalized π-electron contribution to aromatic vibrational modes. The modulation naturally disperses C=C stretch modes in band patterns that readily resemble the UIE bands in the elusive 6-9 μm range. The electron-vibration interaction mechanics governing the defect-induced band patterns underscores the importance of π delocalization in the emergence of UIE bands. We discuss the global UIE band regularity of this range as compatible with an emission from the delocalized sp^{2} phase, as π domains, confined in disordered carbon mixed-phase aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Álvaro Galué
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1081, 1081HV Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Grisell Díaz Leines
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Materials Simulation, Ruhr-Universität Bochum 44780 Bochum, Germany
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Activated carbons for applications in catalysis: the point of view of a physical-chemist. RENDICONTI LINCEI 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12210-017-0603-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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de Haas AJ, Oomens J, Bouwman J. Facile pentagon formation in the dissociation of polyaromatics. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:2974-2980. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp08349h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Energetic processing of gaseous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) plays a pivotal role in the chemistries of inter- and circumstellar environments, certain planetary atmospheres, and also in the chemistry of combustion and soot formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen J. de Haas
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- FELIX Laboratory
- 6525ED Nijmegen
- The Netherlands
| | - Jos Oomens
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- FELIX Laboratory
- 6525ED Nijmegen
- The Netherlands
| | - Jordy Bouwman
- Radboud University
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- FELIX Laboratory
- 6525ED Nijmegen
- The Netherlands
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Lazzarini A, Piovano A, Pellegrini R, Leofanti G, Agostini G, Rudić S, Chierotti MR, Gobetto R, Battiato A, Spoto G, Zecchina A, Lamberti C, Groppo E. A comprehensive approach to investigate the structural and surface properties of activated carbons and related Pd-based catalysts. Catal Sci Technol 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cy00159a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Activated carbons and related Pd-based catalysts are investigated with a multi-techniques approach, which allows correlating structure and performance.
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Andrews H, Boersma C, Werner MW, Livingston J, Allamandola LJ, Tielens AGGM. PAH EMISSION AT THE BRIGHT LOCATIONS OF PDRs: THE grandPAH HYPOTHESIS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/807/1/99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Bauschlicher CW. The infrared spectra of nonplanar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with five- or seven-membered rings. Chem Phys 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2015.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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