Stability of Iodine Species Trapped in Titanium-Based MOFs: MIL-125 and MIL-125_NH.

Two titanium-based MOFs MIL-125 and MIL-125_NH are synthesized and characterized using high-temperature powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), N sorption, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Stable up to 300 °C, both compounds exhibited similar specific surface areas (SSA) values (1207 and 1099 m g for MIL-125 and MIL-125_NH, respectively). EPR signals of Ti are observed in both, whith MIL-125_NH also showing ─NH signatures.

Electron-Donor Functional Groups, Band Gap Tailoring, and Efficient Charge Separation: Three Keys To Improve the Gaseous Iodine Uptake in MOF Materials.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been largely investigated worldwide for their use in the capture of radioactive iodine due to its potential release during nuclear accident events and reprocessing of nuclear fuel. The present work deals with the capture of gaseous I under a continuous flow and its subsequent transformation into I within the porous structures of three distinct, yet structurally related, terephthalate-based MOFs: MIL-125(Ti), MIL-125(Ti)_NH, and CAU-1(Al)_NH. The synthesized materials exhibited specific surface areas (SSAs) with similar order of magnitude: 1207, 1099, and 1110 m g for MIL-125(Ti), MIL-125(Ti)_NH, and CAU-1(Al)_NH, respectively.

Iodine Uptake by Zr-/Hf-Based UiO-66 Materials: The Influence of Metal Substitution on Iodine Evolution.

Many works reported the encapsulation of iodine in metal-organic frameworks as well as the I → I chemical conversion. This transformation has been examined by adsorbing gaseous iodine on a series of UiO-66 materials and the different Hf/Zr metal ratios (0-100% Hf) were evaluated during the evolution of I into I. The influence of the hafnium content on the UiO-66 structure was highlighted by PXRD, SEM images, and gas sorption tests.

Electron transfers in graphitized HZSM-5 zeolites.

In the present work, we report the electron transfers occurring after ionization of the guest molecules of t-stilbene incorporated in graphitized HZSM-5 zeolites and we compare these results with the data obtained previously for graphite-free zeolites. Complementary diffuse reflectance UV-vis and Raman scattering spectroscopies provide evidence for stabilization of long lived charge separated states as observed in non-graphitized ZSM-5. The spectral features indicate that these species are located in the channels of the zeolite structure.

Effect of zeolite morphology on charge separated states: ZSM-5-type nanocrystals, nanosheets and nanosponges.

In the present work, we investigate the electron transfer occurring in the porous void of three MFI-type zeolite (ZSM-5) nanomaterials (nanocrystals, nanosheets and nanosponges) after adsorption and photoexcitation of t-stilbene (t-St). ZSM-5 nanosheets are constituted of lamellar stacking of several nanosheets (20-40 nm) where each nanosheet has a thickness of 2 nm. Nanosponges are composed of ZSM-5 nanocrystals (2-3 nm) separated by mesoporous holes of 5.

Determination of Electronic Recombination Free Energy in Zeolites: Effects of the Charge Balancing Cation and Confinement.

The adsorption of DPH in M ZSM-5 (M=Na , K , Rb , Cs ), RbFER and RbMOR channel zeolites takes place without chemical or structural modification. After photoexcitation of these systems, a radical cation-electron pair is observed and has a sufficiently long lifetime to be studied by diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy. The study of the recombination of this radical cation-electron pair was carried out at different temperatures and allowed the determination of the activation energy as a function of the nature of the charge-balancing cation but also of the confinement effect.

A Spectroscopic Study of Tautomeric Equilibrium of Salicylideneaniline in ZSM-5 Zeolites.

Salicylideneaniline (SA) sorbed in cation-exchanged M-ZSM-5 (M = H⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺ and Zn) zeolites was studied by spectroscopic techniques assisted by quantum-chemical calculations. The nature of extra-framework cations present in the zeolite void was found to affect the spectral signature of the sorbed SA molecule that points to the shift of tautomeric equilibrium between the enol and keto forms. Small size cations, such as H⁺ and Li⁺, stabilize a cis-keto SA tautomer along with a enol one in the zeolite structure.

Vibrational dynamics of the salicylideneaniline molecule in the solid phase and the confined state.

The salicylideneaniline (SA) molecule, both in the solid phase and sorbed in silicalite-1 zeolite, was studied by a large palette of vibrational spectroscopic methods (INS, Raman, and infrared) and by computational techniques. The comparison of the experimental and calculated spectra unambiguously indicates that the molecule is present in the cis-enol form in both phases. The results of the study allowed the proposal of a complete assignment of the vibrational spectrum of the SA molecule.

Photoinduced electron transfers in zeolites: impact of the aluminum content on the activation energies.

We report the activation energy determination corresponding to the recombination of the radical cation electron moiety created through photoionization of the 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene molecule incorporated in ZSM-5 zeolite channels. We demonstrate that the charge separated state stabilization in zeolite does not depend only on the Al content but also on the Al repartition.

Effects of spatial constraints and Brønsted acid site locations on para-terphenyl ionization and charge transfer in zeolites.

The locations of Brønsted acid sites (BAS) in the channels of medium-pore zeolites have a significant effect on the spontaneous ionization of para-terphenyl (PP(3)) insofar as spatial constraints determine the stability of transition states and charge-transfer complexes relevant to charge separation. The ionization rates and ionization yield values demonstrate that a strong synergy exists between the H(+) polarization energy and spatial constraints imposed by the channel topology. Spectroscopic and modeling results show that PP(3) incorporation, charge separation, charge transfer and charge recombination differ dramatically among zeolites with respect to channel structure (H-FER, H-MFI, H-MOR) and BAS density in the channel.

Incorporation and electron transfer of anthracene in pores of ZSM-5 zeolites. Effect of Brønsted acid site density.

The sorption course of anthracene (ACENE-3) into Brønsted-acidic medium pore MFI zeolites was monitored by in situ EPR and diffuse reflectance UV-visible absorption over one year. Weighed amounts of solid ACENE-3 were merely exposed to H(n)ZSM-5 (H(n)(AlO(2))(n)(SiO(2))(96-n)), with the following Brønsted acid site (BAS) densities, n = 0.0, 0.