Iron-montmorillonite clays as active sorbents for the decontamination of hazardous chemical warfare agents.

A class of heterogeneous catalysts based on commercial bentonite from natural origin, containing at least 80 wt% of montmorillonite clay, was designed to transform selectively and under mild conditions toxic organosulfur and organophosphorus chemical warfare agents into non-noxious products with a reduced impact on health and environment. The bentonite from the natural origin was modified by introducing iron species and acid sites in the interlayer space, aiming to obtain a sorbent with strong catalytic oxidising and hydrolytic properties. The catalytic performance of these materials was evaluated in the oxidative abatement of (2-chloroethyl)ethyl sulfide (CEES), a simulant of sulfur mustard, in the presence of aqueous hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. A new decontamination formulation was, moreover, proposed and obtained by mixing sodium perborate, as a solid oxidant, to iron-bentonite catalysts. Solid-phase decontamination tests, performed on a cotton textile support contaminated with organosulfide and organophosphonate simulant agents revealed the good activity of the solid formulation, especially in the in situ detoxification of blistering agents. Tests carried out on the real blistering warfare agent, sulfur mustard (HD agent), showed that, thanks to the co-presence of the iron-based clay together with the solid oxidant component, a good decontamination of the test surface from the real warfare agent could be achieved (80% contaminant degradation, under ambient conditions, in 24 h).

The influence of particle size of amino-functionalized MCM-41 silicas on CO2 adsorption.

The CO2 adsorption properties of hybrid organic-inorganic MCM-41 silicas with different particle sizes are described here. Micrometric to nanometric MCM-41 silicas are functionalized by introducing amino groups via grafting of 3-[2-(2-aminoethyl)aminoethyl]aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (PAPTS). A combination of FTIR and SS-NMR spectroscopies is adopted to distinguish between physisorbed and chemisorbed CO2. A higher amount of CO2 is physisorbed in the nanometric sample because of a higher pore volume, whereas chemisorbed (carbamate and acid carbamic) species are more abundant in the micrometric sample. The adsorption process is also quantitatively studied using three different techniques (i.e. volumetric measurements, Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Zero Length Column (ZLC) analysis), especially focusing on the reversibility of the reactions between CO2 and amino groups. The three techniques show a higher CO2 adsorption capacity for MCM-41 with nanometric size compared to the micrometric one. Finally, the process is studied at different temperatures (i.e. from 35 to 90 °C) in order to find the best operating conditions.

CO2 adsorption on different organo-modified SBA-15 silicas: a multidisciplinary study on the effects of basic surface groups.

Hybrid organic-inorganic SBA-15 silicas functionalized with increasing amounts of amino groups were studied in this work aiming to evaluate the effects of their physico-chemical properties on CO2 capture ability. Three different amino-silane species were used: 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS), 3-(2-aminoethyl)aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (EAPTS) and 3-[2-(2-aminoethyl)aminoethyl] aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (PAPTS). More specifically, samples were prepared by using two methods, following a post-synthesis grafting procedure and a one-pot preparation method. Experimental and computational techniques were used to study the structural and textural properties of the obtained samples and their surface species in relation to the adopted preparation method. For the most reactive samples, additional hints on the interactions of organosilane species with the silica surface were obtained by a combination of IR and SS-NMR spectroscopy, with particular emphasis on the effects of the silane chain length on the mobility of the organic species. Advanced complementary solid-state NMR techniques provided deeper information on the interactions of organosilane species with the silica surface. Finally, the amount of CO2 adsorbed was estimated by comparing the classical microcalorimetric analysis method with a new type of screening test, the Zero Length Column analysis, which is able to evaluate small amounts of samples in a very short time and the adsorption properties of the adsorbents. The reactivity of the amino-modified silica samples is deeply influenced by both the preparation route and by the type of organosilane used for the functionalization of the materials. In particular, samples prepared by the post-synthesis grafting procedure and containing higher amount of amino groups in the chain are more reactive, following the order PAPTS > EAPTS > APTS.

The interactions of methyl tert-butyl ether on high silica zeolites: a combined experimental and computational study.

In this work, the interactions of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) on different dealuminated high silica zeolites were studied by means of both experimental and computational approaches. Zeolites with different textural and surface features were selected as adsorbents and the effect of their physico-chemical properties (i.e. pore size architecture and type and amount of surface OH sites) on sorption capacity were studied. High silica mordenite (MOR) and Y zeolites (both with a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 200) and ZSM-5 solid (SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 500) were selected as model sorbents. By combining FTIR and SS-NMR (both (1)H and (13)C CPMAS NMR) spectroscopy it was possible to follow accurately the MTBE adsorption process on highly defective MOR characterized by a high concentration of surface SiOH groups. The adsorption process is found to occur in different steps and to involve isolated silanol sites, weakly interacting silanols, and the siloxane network of the zeolite, respectively. H-bonding and van der Waals interactions occurring between the mordenite surface and MTBE molecules were modeled by DFT calculations using a large cluster of the MOR structure where two adjacent side-pockets were fused in a large micropore to simulate a dealumination process leading to silanol groups. This is the locus where MTBE molecules are more strongly bound and stabilized. FTIR spectroscopy and gravimetric measurements allowed determination of the interaction strength and sorption capacities of all three zeolites. In the case of both Y and MOR zeolites, medium-weak H-bonding with isolated silanols (both on internal and external zeolite surfaces) and van der Waals interactions are responsible for MTBE adsorption, whereas ZSM-5, in which a negligible amount of surface silanol species is present, displays a much lower amount of adsorbed MTBE retained mainly through van der Waals interactions with zeolite siloxane network.

On the acidity of saponite materials: a combined HRTEM, FTIR, and solid-state NMR study.

Acid clays were prepared by exchanging a synthetic saponite in HCl solutions of different concentration (0.01 and 1M, respectively). A combined experimental approach (XRD, HRTEM, N2 physisorption, solid-state MAS NMR, and TGA) was used to investigate on the structural, morphological, and textural features of the samples treated under mild and strong acid conditions. FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed probe molecules with different basicity (e.g., CO and NH3) was used to monitor the surface acid properties and acid site distribution. XRD and SS-MAS NMR indicated that the activation under mild acid conditions does not alter the clay structure, while a deep modification of the saponite framework occurred after ion exchange in 1 M HCl solution. The presence of porous amorphous silica phase after treatment under strong acid conditions was confirmed by TEM inspection augmented by SS-MAS NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. N2 and Ar physisorption measurements suggested that cavitation phenomena occurred in saponite structure. N2 physisorption confirmed that the porosity and surface area of the samples are strongly modified upon strong acid treatment. FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed NH3 pointed out that the H-exchange in mild conditions increased the number of surface Brønsted acid sites. Conversely, these sites are significantly depleted after treatment under strong acid conditions. The use of CO as a FTIR probe molecule, which is applied for the first time to study synthetic acid clays, allowed to monitor distribution and strength of Brønsted acid sites, whose acidity is similar to that of strong acid zeolites. The Al-OH sites with medium acidity are also found in acid-activated saponites. The distribution of strong and medium acid sites is strictly dependent on the acid conditions adopted.