Diffusion Study by IR Micro-Imaging of Molecular Uptake and Release on Mesoporous Zeolites of Structure Type CHA and LTA

Dye adsorption of aluminium- and zirconium-based metal organic frameworks with azobenzene dicarboxylate linkers

The high efficiency of metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs) such as the ZIF, MIL and UiO type species in dye adsorption is well established. Recently, an emerging class of photoresponsive azobenzene-based MOFs has found suitable application in gas adsorption. However, there is a dearth of research on their use in the adsorption of dyes and other water pollutants. In this research, two microporous photoresponsive azobenzene dicarboxylate MOFs of Al³⁺ (Al-AZB) and Zr⁴⁺ (Zr-AZB) were synthesized for the adsorption of congo red (CR) dye. The surface and textural properties of the synthesized MOFs were characterized by FTIR, PXRD, SEM, TGA, BET and pore analysis. Both MOFs were crystalline, thermally stable up to 300 °C and stable in aqueous medium at room temperature. The Al-AZB displayed a higher surface area (2718 m²/g) than the Zr-AZB (1098 m²/g), which significantly impacted the higher adsorption of CR. Besides, pore volumes of 0.86 cm³/g and 0.35 cm³/g were obtained for Al-AZB and Zr-AZB, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of Al-AZB and Zr-AZB was 456.6 mg/g and 128.9 mg/g, respectively, with the former superior to other potent adsorbents. The pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models were well correlated with the dye uptake on the MOFs. Thermodynamics revealed random and endothermic sorption of CR dominated by chemisorption, while efficient regeneration and reuse of both MOFs were achieved using dimethylformamide as eluent. The results proved the potency of the synthesized photoresponsive MOFs, as highly efficient and reusable materials for dye adsorption.

Diffusion in Nanoporous Materials: Novel Insights by Combining MAS and PFG NMR

Pulsed field gradient (PFG) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) allows recording of molecular diffusion paths (notably, the probability distribution of molecular displacements over typically micrometers, covered during an observation time of typically milliseconds) and has thus proven to serve as a most versatile means for the in-depth study of mass transfer in complex materials. This is particularly true with nanoporous host materials, where PFG NMR enabled the first direct measurement of intracrystalline diffusivities of guest molecules. Spatial resolution, i.e., the minimum diffusion path length experimentally observable, is limited by the time interval over which the pulsed field gradients may be applied. In “conventional” PFG NMR measurements, this time interval is determined by a characteristic quantity of the host-guest system under study, the so-called transverse nuclear magnetic relaxation time. This leads, notably when considering systems with low molecular mobilities, to severe restrictions in the applicability of PFG NMR. These restrictions may partially be released by performing PFG NMR measurements in combination with “magic-angle spinning” (MAS) of the NMR sample tube. The present review introduces the fundamentals of this technique and illustrates, via a number of recent cases, the gain in information thus attainable. Examples include diffusion measurements with nanoporous host-guest systems of low intrinsic mobility and selective diffusion measurement in multicomponent systems.

Thermodynamic Resistance to Matter Flow at The Interface of a Porous Membrane

Nanoporous materials are important in industrial separation, but their application is subject to strong interfacial barriers to the entry and transport of fluids. At certain conditions the fluid inside and outside the nanoporous material can be viewed as a two-phase system, with an interface between them, which poses an excess resistance to matter flow. We show that there exist two kinds of phenomena which influence the interfacial resistance: hydrodynamic effects and thermodynamic effects, which are independent of each other. Here, we investigate the role of the thermodynamic effects in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and slit pores and compare the associated thermodynmic resistance with that due to hydrodynamic effects traditionally modeled by the established Sampson expression. Using CH4 and CO2 as model fluids, we show that the thermodynamic resistance is especially important for moderate to high pressures, at which the fluid within the CNT or slit pore is in the condensed state. Further, we show that at such pressures the thermodynamic resistance becomes comparable with the internal resistance to fluid transport at length scales typical of membranes used in fuel cells, and of importance in membrane-based separation, and nanofluidics in general.

Note: Molecular diffusivity in a small pore zeolite measured by a variable pressure (piezometric) uptake method

The use of numerical analysis to solve the diffusion equation in the uptake method allowed the measurement of molecular diffusivity in a zeolite with a variable pressure around it. The diffusivity was obtained from the data in the measurement of the adsorption isotherm, which means that the diffusivity measurement now needs neither a special instrument nor procedure. The diffusivities of all the gases are readily available from the measurement of their adsorption isotherms and these data include how the diffusivity changes versus adsorbed concentration. The modeling introduced can also be used for a zeolite with a surface barrier.

Hierarchy concepts: classification and preparation strategies for zeolite containing materials with hierarchical porosity

Starting from a basic classification of “hierarchical porosity” this review gives a broad overview of preparation routes towards hierarchically porous all-zeolite and zeolite containing composite materials.

Diffusion in nanoporous materials: fundamental principles, insights and challenges

The increasing complexity of nanoporous catalysts and adsorbents presents a challenge to both the experimental measurement and theoretical modeling of transport behavior.

A solvent evaporation route towards fabrication of hierarchically porous ZSM-11 with highly accessible mesopores

A solvent evaporation route to generate an organosilane modified dry gel and its transformation into hierarchically porous ZSM-11 is reported. The material features good pore-connectivity and improved acid site accessibility towards bulky substrates.