The scientific research on zeolites – an important class of minerals and synthetic materials – represents an example of fruitful symbiosis among mineralogists, crystal chemists, industrial scientists and engineers. In fact, zeolite properties – among which selective cation-exchange, hydration/dehydration, molecular sieve efficiency and catalytic activity – have made these materials interesting for advanced technological applications, spanning from water treatment, soil remediation, gas and solution separation, animal feeding, biomedical applications to catalysis and nuclear-waste processing. This contribution will review some recent studies on the penetration of guest molecules in porous materials, performed combining the matrix shape and space constrains with the effects of an external pressure. In particular, the use of a multitechnique strategy based on synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction experiments and modeling studies [1], has showed that HP applied on a hydrophobic all-silica ferrierite is able to separate an ethanol–water liquid mixture into ethanol dimer wires and water tetramer squares (Fig. 1). These confined supramolecular blocks, alternating in a binary two-dimensional architecture, remain stable upon P release. HP can also be exploited to force the intrusion of water or aqueous salt solutions into a hydrophobic porous material. During this intrusion, the mechanical energy can be converted into interfacial one. Depending on various physical parameters of the porous material, when P is released the “zeosil-water” system is able to restore, dissipate or absorb the supplied mechanical energy accumulated during the compression step, displaying a spring, shock-absorber or bumper behavior, respectively. The energetic performances of pure-silica ferrierite [2] upon intrusion/extrusion experiments with water and MgCl2 electrolytic aqueous solution will be discussed. This work was supported by the Italian MIUR, within the frame of the project PRIN2015 “ZAPPING” (2015HK93L7). [1] Arletti, R., Fois, E., Gigli, L., Vezzalini, G., Quartieri, S., Tabacchi, G. (2017) Angewandte Chemie, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201700219 [2] R. Arletti, L. Ronchi, G. Vezzalini, S. Quartieri, A. Ryzhikovb, H. Nouali, J. Daou, J. Patarin (2016) MMM, 235, 253-260

High-pressure nano-confinement in zeolites: innovative materials from the Mineral Science know-how

Quartieri S.
2017-01-01

Abstract

The scientific research on zeolites – an important class of minerals and synthetic materials – represents an example of fruitful symbiosis among mineralogists, crystal chemists, industrial scientists and engineers. In fact, zeolite properties – among which selective cation-exchange, hydration/dehydration, molecular sieve efficiency and catalytic activity – have made these materials interesting for advanced technological applications, spanning from water treatment, soil remediation, gas and solution separation, animal feeding, biomedical applications to catalysis and nuclear-waste processing. This contribution will review some recent studies on the penetration of guest molecules in porous materials, performed combining the matrix shape and space constrains with the effects of an external pressure. In particular, the use of a multitechnique strategy based on synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction experiments and modeling studies [1], has showed that HP applied on a hydrophobic all-silica ferrierite is able to separate an ethanol–water liquid mixture into ethanol dimer wires and water tetramer squares (Fig. 1). These confined supramolecular blocks, alternating in a binary two-dimensional architecture, remain stable upon P release. HP can also be exploited to force the intrusion of water or aqueous salt solutions into a hydrophobic porous material. During this intrusion, the mechanical energy can be converted into interfacial one. Depending on various physical parameters of the porous material, when P is released the “zeosil-water” system is able to restore, dissipate or absorb the supplied mechanical energy accumulated during the compression step, displaying a spring, shock-absorber or bumper behavior, respectively. The energetic performances of pure-silica ferrierite [2] upon intrusion/extrusion experiments with water and MgCl2 electrolytic aqueous solution will be discussed. This work was supported by the Italian MIUR, within the frame of the project PRIN2015 “ZAPPING” (2015HK93L7). [1] Arletti, R., Fois, E., Gigli, L., Vezzalini, G., Quartieri, S., Tabacchi, G. (2017) Angewandte Chemie, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201700219 [2] R. Arletti, L. Ronchi, G. Vezzalini, S. Quartieri, A. Ryzhikovb, H. Nouali, J. Daou, J. Patarin (2016) MMM, 235, 253-260
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11570/3119709
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