A variety of spectroscopic techniques combined with in situ pressure-controlled X-ray diffraction and molecular simulations have been utilized to characterize the five-step phase transition observed upon N(2) adsorption within the high-surface area metal-organic framework Co(BDP) (BDP(2-) = 1,4-benzenedipyrozolate). The computationally assisted structure determinations reveal structural changes involving the orientation of the benzene rings relative to the pyrazolate rings, the dihedral angles for the pyrazolate rings bound at the metal centers, and a change in the metal coordination geometry from square planar to tetrahedral. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements and in situ infrared and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopic measurements provide strong corroborating evidence for the observed changes in structure. In addition, the results from in situ microcalorimetry measurements show that an additional heat of 2 kJ/mol is required for each of the first four transitions, while 7 kJ/mol is necessary for the last step involving the transformation of Co(II) from square planar to tetrahedral. Based on the enthalpy, a weak N(2) interaction with the open Co(II) coordination sites is proposed for the first four phases, which is supported by Monte Carlo simulations.

International audienceThe adsorption of the acid gas H2S has been explored in both MIL-47(V) and MIL-53(Cr) porous metal organic frameworks (MOFs) by combining infrared measurements and molecular simulations. It is shown that while the MIL-47(V) structure remains rigid upon H2S adsorption up to a pressure of 1.8 MPa, the MIL-53(Cr) solid initially present in the large pore form (LP) switches to its narrow pore version (NP) at very low pressure before undergoing a second structural transition from the NP to the LP versions at higher pressure. Such structural transitions further explain the different shape of the adsorption isotherms for both MILs. A further step consists of providing some insights into the microscopic arrangements of the adsorbate molecules within the pores of the MILs. At the initial stage of adsorption, the H2S molecules mainly form hydrogen bonded species, either as hydrogen donor (in MIL-47 V) or hydrogen-acceptor (in MIL-53Cr) with the mu(2)-O and mu(2)-OH groups, respectively, present at the MOF surfaces. At higher pressure (1.8 MPa), the adsorbates are preferentially arranged within the channel in order to form dimers with a high orientational disorder. Both experimental and simulated adsorption enthalpies for H2S decrease in the following sequence: MIL-53(Cr) NP > MIL-47(V) > MIL-53(Cr) LP. The conclusions drawn from this work are then discussed considering the use of such materials for the CH4/H2S separation by means of Pressure Swing Adsorption

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The number of redox-active and inactive Mn and Co species in MeAPO-5 and MeAPO-18 (Me ) Mn, Co) was measured from H 2 consumption rates during H 2 temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR), and their structure and oxidation state were probed at identical conditions by UV-visible and X-ray absorption spectroscopies. H 2 consumption, loss of Me 3+ UV-visible features, and a decrease in X-ray absorption edge energy occurred concurrently and at similar rates, indicating excellent agreement between these techniques. No H 2 O or CO 2 were detected during treatment in H 2 or CO, respectively, indicating that reduction from Me 3+ to Me 2+ occurred by introduction of protons. These protons are fully removed by treatment in O 2 to 773 K, and O 2 -H 2 redox cycles involving reversible proton formation suggest that cations reside within AlPO framework positions, in which protons reside as charge balancing cations at Me 2+ -O-P bridges. H 2 consumption rates measured during H 2 -TPR could be accurately described by Arrhenius-type behavior, and H 2 /Me ratios showed that only a fraction of all Me cations undergo reversible redox cycles. This fraction was 0.86 for MnAPO-18 (atomic Mn/P ) 0.05); it decreased from 0.68 to 0.40 for MnAPO-5 as Mn/P ratios increased from 0.028 to 0.10. For CoAPO-18 with 0.028 Co/P and CoAPO-5 with 0.40 Co/P, the fractions of redox sites were 0.64 and 0.40, respectively. UV-visible spectra showed no detectable Me 3+ features after thermal treatment in H 2 . Thus, cations that do not undergo redox cycles remain as permanently divalent cations throughout O 2 -H 2 cycles. The redox-active fraction also decreased during repeated H 2 -O 2 redox cycles above 773 K, indicating that redox cations convert into permanently divalent sites. This conversion coincides with the evolution of H 2 O during H 2 treatments above 773 K. These findings together with the effects of Me/P ratio on the redox fraction are consistent with a mechanism in which OH groups at divalent framework cation sites recombine to form H 2 O and an oxygen vacancy. Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone formation rates during liquid-phase cyclohexane oxidation with O 2 on MnAPO-5 samples increased linearly with the number of redox-active sites, suggesting that elementary steps of cyclohexane oxidation involve cycling between Me 2+ and Me 3+ , and require cation sites able to reversibly form charge balancing cationic species.

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The positions of nu8a and nu*(NH) bands in the spectrum of protonated 2,6-dimethylpyridine vary with the strength of Brønsted acidity: the higher the nu*(NH) wavenumber and the lower the nu8a wavenumber, the stronger the acidity. The results obtained with 2,6-dimethylpyridine adsorption correlate with those obtained by CO adsorption experiments on a series of faujasite zeolites (LiHNaY, KHNaY, HY, HY(SA), HNaX). These relations were extended to gamma-Al2O3 having weak Brønsted acidity, not detected by pyridine and hardly detected by CO. The number (0.1 per nm2) and the strength (corresponding to delta nu (OH) by CO = 155 cm(-1)) of the most acidic OH groups of Al2O3, as well as the position of the corresponding nu (OH) band (<3700 cm(-1)) are deduced from 2,6-dimethylpyridine adsorption experiments.

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