RESUMO
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) RIO-13, RIO-12, RIO-11, and RIO-11m were investigated towards their CO2 capture properties by thermogravimetric analysis at 1â atm and 40 °C. These microporous COFs bear in common the azine backbone composed of hydroxy-benzene moieties but differ in the relative number of hydroxyl groups present in each material. Thus, their sorption capacities were studied as a function of their textural and chemical properties. Their maximum CO2 uptake values showed a strong correlation with an increasing specific surface area, but that property alone could not fully explain the CO2 uptake data. Hence, the specific CO2 uptake, combined with DFT calculations, indicated that the relative number of hydroxyl groups in the COF backbone acts as an adsorption threshold, as the hydroxyl groups were indeed identified as relevant adsorption sites in all the studied COFs. Additionally, the best performing COF was thoroughly investigated, experimentally and theoretically, for its CO2 capture properties in a variety of CO2 concentrations and temperatures, and showed excellent isothermal recyclability up to 3 cycles.
RESUMO
A series of nickel-decorated covalent organic frameworks, NiCl@RIO-12, were prepared using the post-synthetic modification strategy, that is, by reacting NiCl2 with pristine RIO-12 under alkaline conditions. Interestingly, they retained their crystallinity and the amount of nickel incorporated could be tuned from 3.6 to 25â wt % according to the reaction conditions. The incorporation of a higher amount of nickel in NiCl@RIO-12 consistently led to a lower Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area. Additionally, no agglomeration of nickel particles was found and a relatively homogeneous dispersion of nickel could be ascertained by SEM and TEM-EDS. The paramagnetic material exhibited promising catalytic activity in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling under microwave heating. Thus, NiCl@RIO-12 notably demonstrated good thermal stability and its recyclability showed no substantial loss of activity after 3â cycles.
RESUMO
A family of Al-rich ZSM-5 zeolites with Si/Al = 8 ± 0.5 was prepared according to a biomass-mediated supramolecular approach. A combination of advanced characterisation techniques and periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations unraveled the purity and stability of un-expected Al-enriched ZSM-5 structures, hence allowing to cross the frontier of Si/Al lower limit. In addition, these Al-rich ZSM-5 zeolites demonstrated high catalytic activity in n-hexane cracking and methanol conversion into hydrocarbons, being in line with the presence of numerous Brønsted acid sites.
RESUMO
The reaction mechanism for hydroxylation of benzene by N(2)O has been studied on chemically modified ZSM-5 catalysts. A maximum in catalytic activity and selectivity was reached for steamed samples under mild conditions (about 30% conversion with 94% selectivity). Chemical modifications, through ion exchange (H(+) versus Na(+)), have demonstrated the importance of the presence of Brönsted acid sites. The results obtained suggest a Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism between benzene and N(2)O adsorbed on two distinct active sites. A density functional theory study considering the possible reaction intermediates also confirmed the possible formation of protonated nitrous oxide, leading to a Wheland-type intermediate, thus supporting an electrophilic aromatic substitution assisted by the confined environment provided by the active zeolite framework.