in-situ-monitoring-diffusion-guest-molecules-porous-media-using

<em>In Situ</em> Monitoring of Diffusion of Guest Molecules in Porous Media Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging

A method is demonstrated to monitor macroscopic translational diffusion using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging. A host-guest system with ...

Universität Konstanz

In electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) distance distributions between site-directedly attached spin labels in soft matter are obtained by measuring their dipole-dipole interaction. The analysis of these distance distributions can be misleading particularly for broad distributions, because the most probable distance deviates from the distance between the most probable label positions. The current manuscript studies this effect using numerically generated spin label positions, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental data of a model system. An approach involving Rice distributions is proposed to overcome this problem.

A short note on the analysis of distance measurements by electron paramagnetic resonance.

Mass transport of molecular compounds through porous solids is a decisive step in numerous, important applications like chromatography or heterogeneous catalysis. It is a multi-scale, hierarchical phenomenon: macrodiffusion (>μm) is influenced, in addition to parameters like grain boundaries and particle packing, by meso-scale (>10 nm, <μm) factors like particle size and the connectivity of pores. More importantly, meso-scale diffusion and macro-scale diffusion are first and foremost determined directly by processes on the molecular scale (<10 nm), which depend on numerous factors like pore-size, interactions of the host with the solid surfaces and with the solvent. Due to the high complexity of the latter and the fact that current analytical techniques enable only limited insights into solvent-filled pores with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution, the knowledge about the molecular origins of diffusive processes in porous materials is still restricted. The main focus of the current paper is on the development of continuous wave (CW) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy into a tool shedding some new light on molecular diffusion inside mesoporous silica materials differing systematically in pore size and surface functionalities. The advantages of CW-EPR are that its spatial resolution fits ideally to the size of mesopores (2-10 nm), it is fast enough for spotting molecular processes, and any conventional solvent and the porous matrix are EPR silent. Diffusion coefficients have been calculated considering spin exchange occurring from the diffusive collision of radicals, and are compared to complementary analytical techniques like MAS PFG NMR (sensitive for meso-scale) and EPR-imaging (sensitive to macroscale diffusion). Our results show that the choice of surface bound functional groups influences diffusion much stronger than pore-size. There are indications that this is not only due to different guest-surface interactions but also due to an altered mobility within the solvent under confinement.

Multiple scale investigation of molecular diffusion inside functionalized porous hosts using a combination of magnetic resonance methods.

Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) experiments often suffer from low signal to noise ratio. The increase in spectrometer time required to acquire data of sufficient quality to allow further analysis can be counteracted in part by more processing effort during the image reconstruction step. We suggest a simultaneous iterative reconstruction algorithm (SIRT) for reconstruction of continuous wave EPRI experimental data as an alternative to the widely applied filtered back projection algorithm (FBP). We show experimental and numerical test data of 2d spatial images and spectral-spatial images. We find that for low signal to noise ratio and spectral-spatial images that are limited by the maximum magnetic field gradient strength SIRT is more suitable than FBP.

Simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique software for spectral-spatial EPR imaging.

The existence of more than one functional entity is fundamental for materials, which are desired of fulfilling complementary or succeeding tasks. Whereas it is feasible to make materials with a homogeneous distribution of two different, functional groups, cases are extremely rare exhibiting a smooth transition from one property to the next along a defined distance. We present a new approach leading to high-surface area solids with functional gradients at the microstructural level. Periodically ordered mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) and aerogel-like monolithic bodies with a maximum density of azide groups were prepared from a novel sol-gel precursor. The controlled and fast conversion of the azide into numerous functions by click chemistry is the prerequisite for the implementation of manifold gradient profiles. Herein we discuss materials with chemical, optical and structural gradients, which are interesting for all applications requiring directionality, for example, chromatography.

Martin Spitzbarth

Department of Chemistry

Universität Konstanz

In Situ Monitoring of Diffusion of Guest Molecules in Porous Media Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging

Martin Spitzbarth

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Chemistry

Universität Konstanz

In Situ Monitoring of Diffusion of Guest Molecules in Porous Media Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging

Department of Chemistry