Synthesis and Structure of a Layered Fluoroaluminophosphate and Its Transformation to a Three-Dimensional Zeotype Framework.

Two-dimensional zeolitic materials have drawn increasing attention because of their structural diversity, high accessible surface areas, and potential as precursors to form novel three-dimensional (3D) structures. Here we report a new layered fluoroaluminophosphate, denoted as EMM-9 (ExxonMobil Material #9), synthesized in the same synthesis system as that for a previously reported 3D framework structure EMM-8 (framework-type code: SFO) using an F- medium and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) as the organic structure-directing agent. The structure of EMM-9 was solved from rotation electron diffraction data and refined against synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data. The fluoroaluminophosphate layer of EMM-9 is composed of sti composite building units. The DMAP cations are located between the layers. π-π interactions between the DMAP cations and hydrogen bonding between the DMAP cations and layers were identified. The layered EMM-9 structure is closely related to the 3D framework structure of EMM-8 and can be transformed to EMM-8 by calcination.

High-Throughput Synthesis and Structure of Zeolite ZSM-43 with Two-Directional 8-Ring Channels.

The aluminosilicate zeolite ZSM-43 (where ZSM = Zeolite Socony Mobil) was first synthesized more than 3 decades ago, but its chemical structure remained unsolved because of its poor crystallinity and small crystal size. Here we present optimization of the ZSM-43 synthesis using a high-throughput approach and subsequent structure determination by the combination of electron crystallographic methods and powder X-ray diffraction. The synthesis required the use of a combination of both inorganic (Cs+ and K+) and organic (choline) structure-directing agents. High-throughput synthesis enabled a screening of the synthesis conditions, which made it possible to optimize the synthesis, despite its complexity, in order to obtain a material with significantly improved crystallinity. When both rotation electron diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging techniques are applied, the structure of ZSM-43 could be determined. The structure of ZSM-43 is a new zeolite framework type and possesses a unique two-dimensional channel system limited by 8-ring channels. ZSM-43 is stable upon calcination, and sorption measurements show that the material is suitable for adsorption of carbon dioxide as well as methane.

Three-dimensional electron diffraction as a complementary technique to powder X-ray diffraction for phase identification and structure solution of powders.

Phase identification and structure determination are important and widely used techniques in chemistry, physics and materials science. Recently, two methods for automated three-dimensional electron diffraction (ED) data collection, namely automated diffraction tomography (ADT) and rotation electron diffraction (RED), have been developed. Compared with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and two-dimensional zonal ED, three-dimensional ED methods have many advantages in identifying phases and determining unknown structures. Almost complete three-dimensional ED data can be collected using the ADT and RED methods. Since each ED pattern is usually measured off the zone axes by three-dimensional ED methods, dynamic effects are much reduced compared with zonal ED patterns. Data collection is easy and fast, and can start at any arbitrary orientation of the crystal, which facilitates automation. Three-dimensional ED is a powerful technique for structure identification and structure solution from individual nano- or micron-sized particles, while powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) provides information from all phases present in a sample. ED suffers from dynamic scattering, while PXRD data are kinematic. Three-dimensional ED methods and PXRD are complementary and their combinations are promising for studying multiphase samples and complicated crystal structures. Here, two three-dimensional ED methods, ADT and RED, are described. Examples are given of combinations of three-dimensional ED methods and PXRD for phase identification and structure determination over a large number of different materials, from Ni-Se-O-Cl crystals, zeolites, germanates, metal-organic frameworks and organic compounds to intermetallics with modulated structures. It is shown that three-dimensional ED is now as feasible as X-ray diffraction for phase identification and structure solution, but still needs further development in order to be as accurate as X-ray diffraction. It is expected that three-dimensional ED methods will become crucially important in the near future.

The first zeolite with a tri-directional extra-large 14-ring pore system derived using a phosphonium-based organic molecule.

A new germanosilicate zeolite (denoted as ITQ-53) with extra-large pores has been synthesised using tri-tertbutylmethylphosphonium cation as the organic structure directing agent (OSDA). Rotation electron diffraction (RED) was used to identify ITQ-53 from an initially-synthesised sample containing impurities, and to solve its structure. The structure was refined against PXRD data of pure ITQ-53 samples obtained after synthesis optimisation. ITQ-53 is the first example of extra-large pore zeolites with tri-directional interconnected 14 × 14 × 14-ring channels. It is stable up to at least 650 °C. The structure of ITQ-53 changes from monoclinic to orthorhombic upon calcination.

ITQ-54: a multi-dimensional extra-large pore zeolite with 20 × 14 × 12-ring channels.

A multi-dimensional extra-large pore silicogermanate zeolite, named ITQ-54, has been synthesised by in situ decomposition of the N,N-dicyclohexylisoindolinium cation into the N-cyclohexylisoindolinium cation. Its structure was solved by 3D rotation electron diffraction (RED) from crystals of ca. 1 µm in size. The structure of ITQ-54 contains straight intersecting 20 × 14 × 12-ring channels along the three crystallographic axes and it is one of the few zeolites with extra-large channels in more than one direction. ITQ-54 has a framework density of 11.1 T atoms per 1000 Å3, which is one of the lowest among the known zeolites. ITQ-54 was obtained together with GeO2 as an impurity. A heavy liquid separation method was developed and successfully applied to remove this impurity from the zeolite. ITQ-54 is stable up to 600 °C and exhibits permanent porosity. The structure was further refined using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data for both as-made and calcined samples.

EMM-23: a stable high-silica multidimensional zeolite with extra-large trilobe-shaped channels.

Stable, multidimensional, and extra-large pore zeolites are desirable by industry for catalysis and separation of bulky molecules. Here we report EMM-23, the first stable, three-dimensional extra-large pore aluminosilicate zeolite. The structure of EMM-23 was determined from submicron-sized crystals by combining electron crystallography, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and powder X-ray diffraction. The framework contains highly unusual trilobe-shaped pores that are bound by 21-24 tetrahedral atoms. These extra-large pores are intersected perpendicularly by a two-dimensional 10-ring channel system. Unlike most ideal zeolite frameworks that have tetrahedral sites with four next-nearest tetrahedral neighbors (Q(4) species), this unusual zeolite possesses a high density of Q(2) and Q(3) silicon species. It is the first zeolite prepared directly with Q(2) species that are intrinsic to the framework. EMM-23 is stable after calcination at 540 °C. The formation of this highly interrupted structure is facilitated by the high density of extra framework positive charge introduced by the dicationic structure directing agent.

Supra-molecular assembly of aromatic proton sponges to direct the crystallization of extra-large-pore zeotypes.

The combination of different experimental techniques, such as solid 13C and 1H magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction, together with theoretical calculations allows the determination of the unique structure directing the role of the bulky aromatic proton sponge 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (DMAN) towards the extra-large-pore ITQ-51 zeolite through supra-molecular assemblies of those organic molecules.

Ab initio structure determination of interlayer expanded zeolites by single crystal rotation electron diffraction.

Layered solids often form thin plate-like crystals that are too small to be studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Although powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) is the conventional method for studying such solids, it has limitations because of peak broadening and peak overlapping. We have recently developed a software-based rotation electron diffraction (RED) method for automated collection and processing of 3D electron diffraction data. Here we demonstrate the ab initio structure determination of two interlayer expanded zeolites, the microporous silicates COE-3 and COE-4 (COE-n stands for International Network of Centers of Excellence-n), from submicron-sized crystals by the RED method. COE-3 and COE-4 are built of ferrierite-type layers pillared by (-O-Si(CH3)2-O-) and (-O-Si(OH)2-O-) linker groups, respectively. The structures contain 2D intersecting 10-ring channels running parallel to the ferrierite layers. Because both COE-3 and COE-4 are electron-beam sensitive, a combination of RED datasets from 2 to 3 different crystals was needed for the structure solution and subsequent structure refinement. The structures were further refined by Rietveld refinement against the PXRD data. The structure models obtained from RED and PXRD were compared.

Iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in activated carbons prepared from hydrothermally treated waste biomass.

Particles of iron oxide (Fe3O4 ; 20­40 nm) were embedded within activated carbons during the activation of hydrothermally carbonized (HTC) biomasses in a flow of CO2. Four different HTC biomass samples (horse manure, grass cuttings, beer production waste, and biosludge) were used as precursors for the activated carbons. Nanoparticles of iron oxide formed from iron catalyst included in the HTC biomasses. After systematic optimization, the activated carbons had specific surface areas of about 800 m2g1. The pore size distributions of the activated carbons depended strongly on the degree of carbonization of the precursors. Activated carbons prepared from highly carbonized precursors had mainly micropores, whereas those prepared from less carbonized precursors contained mainly mesopores. Given the strong magnetism of the activated carbon­nano-Fe3O4 composites, they could be particularly useful for water purification.

Sustainable catalysis: rational Pd loading on MIL-101Cr-NH2 for more efficient and recyclable Suzuki-Miyaura reactions.

Palladium nanoparticles have been immobilized into an amino-functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF), MIL-101Cr-NH2, to form Pd@MIL-101Cr-NH2. Four materials with different loadings of palladium have been prepared (denoted as 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16 wt%Pd@MIL-101Cr-NH2). The effects of catalyst loading and the size and distribution of the Pd nanoparticles on the catalytic performance have been studied. The catalysts were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), N2-sorption isotherms, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). To better characterize the palladium nanoparticles and their distribution in MIL-101Cr-NH2, electron tomography was employed to reconstruct the 3D volume of 8 wt%Pd@MIL-101Cr-NH2 particles. The pair distribution functions (PDFs) of the samples were extracted from total scattering experiments using high-energy X-rays (60 keV). The catalytic activity of the four MOF materials with different loadings of palladium nanoparticles was studied in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. The best catalytic performance was obtained with the MOF that contained 8 wt% palladium nanoparticles. The metallic palladium nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed, with an average size of 2.6 nm. Excellent yields were obtained for a wide scope of substrates under remarkably mild conditions (water, aerobic conditions, room temperature, catalyst loading as low as 0.15 mol%). The material can be recycled at least 10 times without alteration of its catalytic properties.

Single-crystal structure of a covalent organic framework.

The crystal structure of a new covalent organic framework, termed COF-320, is determined by single-crystal 3D electron diffraction using the rotation electron diffraction (RED) method for data collection. The COF crystals are prepared by an imine condensation of tetra-(4-anilyl)methane and 4,4'-biphenyldialdehyde in 1,4-dioxane at 120 °C to produce a highly porous 9-fold interwoven diamond net. COF-320 exhibits permanent porosity with a Langmuir surface area of 2400 m(2)/g and a methane total uptake of 15.0 wt % (176 cm(3)/cm(3)) at 25 °C and 80 bar. The successful determination of the structure of COF-320 directly from single-crystal samples is an important advance in the development of COF chemistry.

Synthesis of an extra-large molecular sieve using proton sponges as organic structure-directing agents.

The synthesis of crystalline microporous materials containing large pores is in high demand by industry, especially for the use of these materials as catalysts in chemical processes involving bulky molecules. An extra-large-pore silicoaluminophosphate with 16-ring openings, ITQ-51, has been synthesized by the use of bulky aromatic proton sponges as organic structure-directing agents. Proton sponges show exceptional properties for directing extra-large zeolites because of their unusually high basicity combined with their large size and rigidity. This extra-large-pore material is stable after calcination, being one of the very few examples of hydrothermally stable molecular sieves containing extra-large pores. The structure of ITQ-51 was solved from submicrometer-sized crystals using the rotation electron diffraction method. Finally, several hypothetical zeolites related to ITQ-51 have been proposed.

Toward better QSAR/QSPR modeling: simultaneous outlier detection and variable selection using distribution of model features.

Building a robust and reliable QSAR/QSPR model should greatly consider two aspects: selecting the optimal variable subset from a large pool of molecular descriptors and detecting outliers from a pool of samples. The two problems have the specific similarity and complementarity to some extent. Given a particular learning algorithm on a particular data set, one should consider how the interaction could happen between variable selection and outlier detection. In this paper, we describe a consistent methodology for simultaneously performing variable subset selection and outlier detection using the idea of statistical distribution which can be simulated by the establishment of many cross-predictive linear models. The approach exploits the fact that the distribution of linear model coefficients provides a mechanism for ranking and interpreting the effects of variable, while the distribution of prediction errors provides a mechanism for differentiating the outliers from normal samples. The use of statistic of these distributions, namely mean value and standard deviation, inherently provides a feasible way to effectively describe the information contained by the original samples. Several examples are used to demonstrate the prediction ability of our proposed approach through the comparison of different approaches as well as their combinations.

Discovery of mass spectral characteristics and automatic identification of wax esters from gas chromatography mass spectrometry data.

The mass spectral characteristics of wax esters were systemically summarized and interpreted through data mining of their standard mass spectra taken from NIST standard mass spectral library. Combining with the rules of retention indices described in the previous study, an automatic system was subsequently developed to identify the structural information for wax esters from GC/MS data. After tested and illustrated by both simulated and real GC/MS data, the results indicate that this system could identify wax esters except the polyunsaturated ones and the mass spectral characteristics are useful and effective information for identification of wax esters.