Confined Ru Sites in a 13X Zeolite for Ultrahigh H Production from NH Decomposition.

Catalytic NH synthesis and decomposition offer a new promising way to store and transport renewable energy in the form of NH from remote or offshore sites to industrial plants. To use NH as a hydrogen carrier, it is important to understand the catalytic functionality of NH decomposition reactions at an atomic level. Here, we report for the first time that Ru species confined in a 13X zeolite cavity display the highest specific catalytic activity of over 4000 h for the NH decomposition with a lower activation barrier, compared to most reported catalytic materials in the literature.

Tautomerism unveils a self-inhibition mechanism of crystallization.

Modifiers are commonly used in natural, biological, and synthetic crystallization to tailor the growth of diverse materials. Here, we identify tautomers as a new class of modifiers where the dynamic interconversion between solute and its corresponding tautomer(s) produces native crystal growth inhibitors. The macroscopic and microscopic effects imposed by inhibitor-crystal interactions reveal dual mechanisms of inhibition where tautomer occlusion within crystals that leads to natural bending, tunes elastic modulus, and selectively alters the rate of crystal dissolution.

Understanding formation thermodynamics of structurally diverse zeolite oligomers with first principles calculations.

The mechanisms of many zeolitic processes, including nucleation and interzeolite transformation, are not fully understood owing to complex growth mixtures that obfuscate monitoring of molecular events. In this work, we provide insights into zeolite chemistry by investigating the formation thermodynamics of small zeolitic species using first principles calculations. We systematically study how formation energies of pure-silicate and aluminosilicate species differ by structure type and size, temperature, and the presence of alkali or alkaline earth metal cations (Na, K, and Ca).

Heteroatom Manipulation of Zeolite Crystallization: Stabilizing Zn-FAU against Interzeolite Transformation.

The preparation of metastable zeolites is often restricted to a limited range of synthesis conditions, which is exemplified in commercial syntheses lacking organics to stabilize the crystal structure. In the absence of an organic structure-directing agent, interzeolite transformation is a common phenomenon that can lead to undesirable products or impurities. Many studies have investigated the substitution of Si and Al in zeolite frameworks with alternative elements (heteroatoms) as a means of tailoring the properties of zeolites; however, relatively few studies have systematically explored the impact of heteroatoms on interzeolite transformations and their concomitant effects on zeolite crystallization.

Effects of Microwave Energy on Fast Compressive Strength Development of Coal Bottom Ash-Based Geopolymers.

Microwave energy has been shown to be effective for geopolymer synthesis due to its fast and penetrative heating characteristics; however, the changes in the physicochemical properties of the geopolymer, resulting from the microwave irradiation, have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the effect of the microwaving on the properties of coal bottom ash(CBA) geopolymers. We prepared geopolymer samples by casting a mixture of ground CBA and 14 M NaOH solution against cubic molds with a hand press machine, followed by pre-curing in a dry oven at 75 °C for 24 h and microwaving under various powers and durations.