Precise Distance Control and Functionality Adjustment of Frustrated Lewis Pairs in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

We report the construction of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) in a metal-organic framework (MOF), where both Lewis acid (LA) and Lewis base (LB) are fixed to the backbone. The anchoring of a tritopic organoboron linker as LA and a monotopic linker as LB to separate metal oxide clusters in a tetrahedron geometry allows for the precise control of distance between them. As the type of monotopic LB linker varies, pyridine, phenol, aniline, and benzyl alcohol, a series of 11 FLPs were constructed to give fixed distances of 7.1, 5.5, 5.4, and 4.8 Å, respectively, revealed by 11B-1H solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Keeping LA and LB apart by a fixed distance makes it possible to investigate the electrostatic effect by changing the functional groups in the monotopic LB linker, while the LA counterpart remains unaffected. This approach offers new chemical environments of the active site for FLP-induced catalysis.

Effect of Co-Adsorbed Guest Adsorbates on the Separation of Ethylene/Ethane Mixtures on Metal-Organic Frameworks with Open Metal Sites.

Direct determination of the equilibrium adsorption and spectroscopic observation of adsorbent-adsorbate interaction is crucial to evaluate the olefin/paraffin separation performance of porous adsorbents. However, the experimental characterization of competitive adsorption of various adsorbates at atomic-molecular level in the purification of multicomponent gas mixtures is challenging and rarely conducted. Herein, solid-state NMR spectroscopy is employed to examine the effect of co-adsorbed guest adsorbates on the separation of ethylene/ethane mixtures on Mg-MOF-74, Zn-MOF-74 and UTSA-74. 1H MAS NMR facilitates the determination of equilibrium uptake and adsorption selectivity of ethylene/ethane in ternary mixtures. The co-adsorption of H2O and CO2 significantly leads to the degradation of ethylene uptake and ethylene/ethane selectivity. The detailed host-guest and guest-guest interactions are unraveled by 2D 1H-1H spin diffusion homo-nuclear correlation and static 25Mg NMR experiments. The experimental results verify H2O coordinated on open metal sites can supply a new adsorption site for ethylene and ethane. The effects of guest adsorbates on the adsorption capacity and adsorption selectivity of ethylene/ethane mixtures are in the following order: H2O>CO2>O2. This work provides a direct approach for exploring the equilibrium adsorption and detailed separation mechanism of multicomponent gas mixtures using MOFs adsorbents.

Preferential adsorption sites for propane/propylene separation on ZIF-8 as revealed by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with theoretical calculation was employed to investigate the adsorbent-adsorbate host-guest interactions during propane/propylene separation on ZIF-8. 1H NMR chemical shifts of free gaseous and adsorbed propane/propylene are unambiguously assigned with the assistance of two-dimensional (2D) 1H-1H correlation spectroscopy (COSY) MAS NMR spectra. Meanwhile, the adsorption selectivity for propane/propylene mixtures on ZIF-8 at a pressure in range of 1.9-9.6 bar is quantitatively determined using 1H MAS NMR experiments, which agreed well with the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) predictions. The preferential adsorption of propane compared with propylene on ZIF-8 is directly visualized from the 2D 1H-1H spin diffusion homo-nuclear correlation (HOMCOR) MAS NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, the preferential adsorption sites for propane and propylene are deduced from the 1H-1H spin diffusion buildup curves, which is further confirmed by DFT theoretical calculations. This work provides insights to understand the structure-property relationship during the propane/propylene separation on ZIF-8 as adsorbent.

Application of solid-state NMR techniques for structural characterization of metal-organic frameworks.

Solid-state NMR can afford the structural information about the chemical composition, local environment, and spatial coordination at the atomic level, which has been extensively applied to characterize the detailed structure and host-guest interactions in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this review, recent advances for the structural characterizations of MOFs using versatile solid-state NMR techniques were briefly introduced. High-field sensitivity-enhanced solid-state NMR method enabled the direct observation of metal centers in MOFs containing low-γ nuclei. Two-dimensional (2D) homo- and hetero-nuclear correlation MAS NMR experiments provided the spatial proximity among linkers, metal clusters and the introduced guest molecules. Moreover, quantitative measurement of inter-nuclear distances using solid-state NMR provided valuable structural information about the connectivity geometry as well as the host-guest interactions within MOFs. Furthermore, solid-state NMR has exhibited great potential for unraveling the structure property of MOFs containing paramagnetic metal centers.

Unravelling the Reactivity of Framework Lewis Acid Sites towards Methanol Activation on H-ZSM-5 Zeolite with Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

Understanding the acid sites on zeolites is vital for the establishment of catalyst structure-activity relationship and exploration of their potential applications in heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we report the identification of active framework Lewis acid sites on ZSM-5 zeolites. The structures of framework-associated tri-coordinated Al that is bonding with hydroxyl groups are determined by using one- dimensional (1D) 31 P and two-dimensional (2D) 31 P-{27 Al} NMR spectroscopy of trimethylphosphine oxide probe molecule. 2D 13 C-{27 Al} NMR correlation experiments allow the observation of favorable formation of methoxy species on the framework-associated Al Lewis acid sites in methanol reaction at low temperature, which is corroborated by density functional theory calculations. These methoxy species contribute to the further conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons as active C1 species. The results provide new insights into the Lewis acidity of zeolites.

Host-Guest Interaction in Ethylene and Ethane Separation on Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks as Revealed by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

The separation of ethane/ethylene mixture by using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as adsorbents is strongly associated with the pore size-sieving effect and the adsorbent-adsorbate interaction. Herein, solid-state NMR spectroscopy is utilized to explore the host-guest interaction and ethane/ethylene separation mechanism on zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). Preferential access to the ZIF-8 and ZIF-8-90 frameworks by ethane compared to ethylene is directly visualized from two-dimensional 1 H-1 H spin diffusion MAS NMR spectroscopy and further verified by computational density distributions. The 1 H MAS NMR spectroscopy provides an alternative for straightforwardly extracting the adsorption selectivity of ethane/ethylene mixture at 1.1∼9.6 bar in ZIFs, which is consistent with the IAST predictions.

Breathing Effect via Solvent Inclusions on the Linker Rotational Dynamics of Functionalized MIL-53.

The breathing effects of functionalized MIL-53-X (X=H, CH3 , NH2 , OH, and NO2 ) induced by the inclusions of water, methanol, acetone, and N,N-dimethylformamide solvents were comprehensively investigated by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. 2D homo-nuclear correlation NMR provided direct experimental evidence for the host-guest interaction between the guest solvents and the MOF frameworks. The variations of the 1 H and 13 C NMR chemical shifts in functionalized MIL-53 from the narrow pore phase transitions to large pore forms due to solvent inclusions were clearly identified. The influence of functionalized linkers and their host-guest interactions with the confined solvents on the rotational dynamics of the linkers was examined by separated-local-field MAS NMR experiments in conjunction with DFT theoretical calculations. It is found that the linker rotational dynamics of functionalized MIL-53 in narrow pore form is closely related to the computational rotational energy barrier. The BDC-NO2 linker of activated MIL-53-NO2 undergoes relatively faster rotation, whereas the BDC-NH2 and BDC-OH linkers of activated MIL-53-NH2 and MIL-53-OH exhibit relatively slower rotation. The host-guest interactions between confined solvents and MIL-53-NO2 , MIL-53-CH3 would significantly induce an increase of the order parameters of unsubstituted carbon and reduce the rotational frequency of linkers. This study provides a spectroscopic approach for the investigation of linker rotation in functionalized MOFs at natural abundance with solvents inclusions.

Unraveling Hydrocarbon Pool Boosted Propane Aromatization on Gallium/ZSM-5 Zeolite by Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Propane aromatization on metal-modified zeolites provides a promising route to produce valuable chemicals such as benzene, toluene and xylene via non-petroleum feedstocks. The mechanistic understanding of propane conversion to aromatics is still challenging due to the complexity of the aromatization process. Herein, by using solid-state NMR spectroscopy and GC-MS, it is shown that cyclopentenyl cations are formed as active intermediates during propane aromatization on Ga/ZSM-5 zeolite. Autocatalysis of propane to aromatics is identified in the induction period. The cyclopentenyl cations serve as key hydrocarbon pool species to co-catalyze propane conversion and promote aromatics formation, revealing a dominant hydrocarbon pool process in propane aromatization.

Insight into Carbocation-Induced Noncovalent Interactions in the Methanol-to-Olefins Reaction over ZSM-5 Zeolite by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

Carbocations such as cyclic carbenium ions are important intermediates in the zeolite-catalyzed methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction. The MTO reaction propagates through a complex hydrocarbon pool process. Understanding the carbocation-involved hydrocarbon pool reaction on a molecular level still remains challenging. Here we show that electron-deficient cyclopentenyl cations stabilized in ZSM-5 zeolite are able to capture the alkanes, methanol, and olefins produced during MTO reaction via noncovalent interactions. Intermolecular spatial proximities/interactions are identified by using two-dimensional 13 C-13 C correlation solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Combined NMR experiments and theoretical analysis suggests that in addition to the dispersion and CH/π interactions, the multiple functional groups in the cyclopentenyl cations produce strong attractive force via cation-induced dipole, cation-dipole and cation-π interactions. These carbocation-induced noncovalent interactions modulate the product selectivity of hydrocarbon pool reaction.

Dual Active Sites on Molybdenum/ZSM-5 Catalyst for Methane Dehydroaromatization: Insights from Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

Methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) on Mo/ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst is promising for direct transformation of natural gas. Understanding the nature of active sites on Mo/ZSM-5 is a challenge for applications. Herein, using 1 H{95 Mo} double-resonance solid-state NMR spectroscopy, we identify proximate dual active sites on Mo/ZSM-5 catalyst by direct observation of internuclear spatial interaction between Brønsted acid site and Mo species in zeolite channels. The acidic proton-Mo spatial interaction is correlated with methane conversion and aromatics formation in the MDA process, an important factor in determining the catalyst activity and lifetime. The evolution of olefins and aromatics in Mo/ZSM-5 channels is monitored by detecting their host-guest interactions with both active Mo sites and Brønsted acid sites via 1 H{95 Mo} double-resonance and two-dimensional 1 H-1 H correlation NMR spectroscopy, revealing the intermediate role of olefins in hydrocarbon pool process during the MDA reaction.

Molecular Vises for Precisely Positioning Ligands near Catalytic Metal Centers in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

We report the construction of a molecular vise by pairing a tritopic phenylphosphorus(III) linker and a monotopic linker in opposite positions within a metal-organic framework. The angle between these linkers at metal sites is fixed upon changing the functionality in the monotopic linker, while the distance between them is precisely tuned. This distance within the molecular vise is accurately measured by 1H-31P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This unveils the impact of the distance on catalytic performance without interference from electrostatic effects or changes in the angle of the ligand, which is unprecedented in classic organometallic complexes.

Solid-state NMR studies of the acidity of functionalized metal-organic framework UiO-66 materials.

The acid strength of metal-organic frameworks plays a key role in their catalytic performance such as activity and selectivity during catalytic reactions. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance in combination with probe molecules including 2-13 C-acetone and pyridine-d5 was employed to characterize the acid strength of UiO-66-X (X = -H, -2COOH, -SO3 H). It was found that after introduction of the functional groups, the acid strength of UiO-66-2COOH and UiO-66-SO3 H is considerably enhanced compared with that of parent UiO-66, with that of the former being similar to that of zeolite H-ZSM-5, and with that of the latter being slightly stronger than that of the former. Even though the acid density can efficiently be modified through changing the relative ratio in multivariate functionalized UiO-66-X, no significant alternation for the acid strength could be discerned in the MTV-UiO-66-X compared with acidic same-link counterpart. Theoretical calculations were employed to further confirm the acid strength of UiO-66-SO3 H and UiO-66-2COOH.

π-Interactions between Cyclic Carbocations and Aromatics Cause Zeolite Deactivation in Methanol-to-Hydrocarbon Conversion.

The understanding of catalyst deactivation represents one of the major challenges for the methanol-to-hydrocarbon (MTH) reaction over acidic zeolites. Here we report the critical role of intermolecular π-interactions in catalyst deactivation in the MTH reaction on zeolites H-SSZ-13 and H-ZSM-5. π-interaction-induced spatial proximities between cyclopentenyl cations and aromatics in the confined channels and/or cages of zeolites are revealed by two-dimensional solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The formation of naphtalene as a precursor to coke species is favored due to the reaction of aromatics with the nearby cyclopentenyl cations and correlates with both acid density and zeolite topology.

Host-guest interaction of styrene and ethylbenzene in MIL-53 studied by solid-state NMR.

Solid-state NMR was utilized to explore the host-guest interaction between adsorbate and adsorbent at atomic level to understand the separation mechanism of styrene (St) and ethylbenzene (EB) in MIL-53(Al). 13C-27Al double-resonance NMR experiments revealed that the host-guest interaction between St and MIL-53 was much stronger than that of EB adsorption. In addition, 13C DIPSHIFT experiments suggested that the adsorbed St was less mobile than EB confined inside the MIL-53 pore. Furthermore, the host-guest interaction model between St, EB and MIL-53 was established on the basis of the spatial proximities information extracted from 2D 1H-1H homo-nuclear correlation NMR experiments. According to the experimental observation from solid-state NMR, it was found that the presence of π-π interaction between St and MIL-53 resulted in the stronger host-guest interaction and less mobility of St. This work provides direct experimental evidence for understanding the separation mechanism of St and EB using MIL-53 as an adsorbent.

Acidic Properties and Structure-Activity Correlations of Solid Acid Catalysts Revealed by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

Solid acid materials with tunable structural and acidic properties are promising heterogeneous catalysts for manipulating and/or emulating the activity and selectivity of industrially important catalytic reactions. On the other hand, the performances of acid-catalyzed reactions are mostly dictated by the acidic features, namely, type (Brønsted vs Lewis acidity), amount, strength, and local environment of acid sites. The latter is relevant to their location (intra- vs extracrystalline), and possible confinement and Brønsted-Lewis acid synergy effects that may strongly affect the host-guest interactions, reaction mechanism, and shape selectivity of the catalytic system. This account aims to highlight some important applications of state-of-the-art solid-state NMR (SSNMR) techniques for exploring the structural and acidic properties of solid acid catalysts as well as their catalytic performances and relevant reaction pathway invoked. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations may be exploited in conjunction with experimental SSNMR studies to verify the structure-activity correlations of the catalytic system at a microscopic scale. We describe in this Account the developments and applications of advanced ex situ and/or in situ SSNMR techniques, such as two-dimensional (2D) double-quantum magic-angle spinning (DQ MAS) homonuclear correlation spectroscopy for structural investigation of solid acids as well as study of their acidic properties. Moreover, the energies and electronic structures of the catalysts and detailed catalytic reaction processes, including the identification of reaction species, elucidation of reaction mechanism, and verification of structure-activity correlations, made available by DFT theoretical calculations were also discussed. Relevant discussions will focus primarily on results obtained from our laboratories in the past decade, including (i) quantitative and qualitative acidity characterization utilizing assorted probe molecules, (ii) probing the spatial proximity and synergy effect of acid sites, and (iii) influence of acid features and pore confinement effect on catalytic activity, transition-state stability, reaction pathway, and product selectivity of solid acid catalysts such as zeolites, metal oxides, and heteropolyacids. It is conclusive that a synergy of acidity (local effect) and pore confinement (environmental effect) tend to strongly dictate the formations of intermediates and transition states, hence, the reaction pathways and catalytic performance of solid acid catalysts. We hope that these information can provide additional insights toward our understanding in heterogeneous catalysis, especially the roles of structural and acidic properties on catalytic performances and reaction mechanism of acid-catalyzed systems, which should be beneficial for rational design of solid acid catalysts.

Bistable N-H···N hydrogen bonds for reversibly modulating the dynamic motion in an organic co-crystal.

Bistable N-H···N hydrogen bonds between rotors and stators enable delicate modulation of dynamic molecular motion by slowing down the fast rotation in a N-H···N hydrogen-bonded organic co-crystal of 1,2-diazabicyclo(2.2.2)octane bis(thiourea), which has been elucidated by the combination of variable-temperature (VT) X-ray structure analyses and VT solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance techniques.

Valence state alternation of copper species doped in HY zeolite as revealed by paramagnetic relaxation enhancement NMR spectroscopy.

Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) solid-state NMR (ssNMR) was used to monitor the valence state alternation of copper species doped in HY zeolite during catalytic reaction processes. The combination of PRE ssNMR and in-situ NMR spectroscopy facilitates the detection of copper species as well as the monitoring of evolution from reactants, intermediates to products in heterogeneously catalyzed processes, which is of great importance for elucidating the detailed catalytic reaction mechanism.

Methanol carbonylation over copper-modified mordenite zeolite: A solid-state NMR study.

The carbonylation of methanol with carbon monoxide to generate methyl acetate over Cu-H-MOR and H-MOR zeolites is studied using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. It is found that the catalytic activity of Cu-H-MOR zeolite is much higher than that of H-MOR zeolite. The presence of Cu+ species enables the stabilization of dimethyl ether, which efficiently suppresses the hydrocarbon formation during carbonylation process over Cu-H-MOR zeolite. In addition, the carbon monoxide adsorbed on Cu+ site is not an active species to produce either methyl acetate or acetic acid.

Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement solid-state NMR studies of heterogeneous catalytic reaction over HY zeolite using natural abundance reactant.

Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement solid-state NMR (PRE ssNMR) technique was used to investigate catalytic reaction over zeolite HY. After introducing paramagnetic Cu(II) ions into the zeolite, the enhancement of longitudinal relaxation rates of nearby nuclei, i.e.(29)Si of the framework and (13)C of the absorbents, was measured. It was demonstrated that the PRE ssNMR technique facilitated the fast acquisition of NMR signals to monitor the heterogeneous catalytic reaction (such as acetone to hydrocarbon) using natural abundance reactants.

Solid state molecular dynamic investigation of an inclusion ferroelectric: [(2,6-diisopropylanilinium)([18]crown-6)]BF4.

Many order-disorder-type phase transitions in molecule-based ferroelectrics are related to changes of molecular dynamics. If the molecular motions do not involve reorientations of dipole moments, their ordering fails to contribute directly to spontaneous electric polarization. For understanding ferroelectric mechanisms in these systems, it is important to clarify how such molecular dynamics changes induce structurally symmetry-breaking phase transitions and thus the appearance of spontaneous electric polarization. Systematic characterization of an [18]crown-6 based host-guest inclusion compound, [(DIPA)([18]crown-6)]BF4 (DIPA = 2,6-diisopropylanilinium), shows it is an excellent ferroelectric with a large dielectric anomaly, significant pyroelectricity, and SHG response, and rectangular polarizaiton-electric field hysterisis loops. By the combination of variable-temperature single-crystal structural determination and solid-state NMR observation, it is found that the slowing down of the rotation of the [18]crown-6 molecule and the tumbling of the BF4 anion causes the symmetry breaking, while the spontaneous polarization is induced by the relative displacement between the cationic and anionic sublattices. This investigation will contribute to a deeper understanding of the structure-property relationship in the emerging molecular ferroelectrics.