A combined
inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and theoretical study
of H2 sorption was performed in PCM-16, a phosphine coordination
material (PCM) with the empirical formula [(CH3)2NH2][Dy2(tctpo)2(O2CH)]
(tctpo = tris(p-carboxylato)triphenylphosphine oxide).
INS measurements at different loadings of H2 revealed a
peak occurring at low rotational tunnelling energies (ca. 5–8
meV), which corresponds to a high barrier to rotation and, therefore,
a strong interaction with the host. Molecular simulations of H2 sorption in PCM-16 revealed that the H2 molecules
sorbed at two main sites in the material: (1) the (CH3)2NH2
+ counterions and (2) within the
small pores of the framework. Two-dimensional quantum rotation calculations
revealed that the peak occurring from approximately 5–8 meV
in the INS spectra for PCM-16 is associated with sorption onto the
(CH3)2NH2
+ ions. These
counterions provide for the strongest H2 sorption sites
in the material, which corresponds to an isosteric heat of adsorption
(Q
st) value of close to 8 kJ mol–1. The calculated rotational barrier for the (CH3)2NH2
+–H2 interaction
in PCM-16 (45.60 meV) is higher than those for a number of extant
metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), especially those that contain
open-metal sites. This study provides insights into the H2 sorption mechanism in a PCM for the first time and shows how the
inclusion of counterions in porous materials is a promising method
to increase the H2 sorption energetics in such materials.