I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Zi
Wang
,
Alena M.
Sheveleva
,
Daniel
Lee
,
Yinlin
Chen
,
Dinu
Iuga
,
W. Trent
Franks
,
Yujie
Ma
,
Jiangnan
Li
,
Lei
Li
,
Yongqiang
Cheng
,
Luke L.
Daemen
,
Sarah J.
Day
,
Anibal J.
Ramirez-Cuesta
,
Bing
Han
,
Alexander S.
Eggeman
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Sihai
Yang
,
Martin
Schroeder
Abstract: We report the modulation of reactivity of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in a charged metal-organic framework (MOF) material, MFM-305-CH3 in which unbound N-centres are methylated and the cationic charge counter-balanced by Cl− ions in the pores. Uptake of NO2 into MFM-305-CH3 leads to reaction between NO2 and Cl– to give nitrosyl chloride (NOCl) and NO3− anions. A high dynamic uptake of 6.58 mmol g−1 at 298 K is observed for MFM-305-CH3 as measured using a flow of 500 ppm NO2 in He. In contrast, the analogous neutral material, MFM-305, shows a much lower uptake of 2.38 mmol g−1. The binding domains and reactivity of adsorbed NO2 molecules within MFM-305-CH3 and MFM-305 have been probed using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering and by electron paramagnetic resonance, high-field solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and UV-vis spectroscopies. The design of charged porous sorbents provides a new platform to control the reactivity of corrosive air pollutants.
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Apr 2023
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B22-Multimode InfraRed imaging And Microspectroscopy
I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Yu
Han
,
Yinlin
Chen
,
Yujie
Ma
,
Jamie
Bailey
,
Zi
Wang
,
Daniel
Lee
,
Alena M.
Sheveleva
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Mark D.
Frogley
,
Sarah J.
Day
,
Stephen P.
Thompson
,
Ben F.
Spencer
,
Marek
Nikiel
,
Pascal
Manuel
,
Danielle
Crawshaw
,
Martin
Schroeder
,
Sihai
Yang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[30398]
Open Access
Abstract: Benzene is an important air pollutant and a key chemical feedstock for the synthesis of cyclohexane. Because of the small difference of 0.6°C in their boiling points, the separation of benzene and cyclohexane is extremely challenging. Here, we report the high adsorption of benzene at low pressure and efficient separation of benzene/cyclohexane, achieved by the control of pore chemistry of two families of robust metal-organic frameworks, UiO-66 and MFM-300. At 298 K, UiO-66-CuII shows an exceptional adsorption of benzene of 3.92 mmol g−1 at 1.2 mbar and MFM-300(Sc) exhibits a high selectivity of 166 for the separation of benzene/cyclohexane (v/v = 1/1) mixture. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and neutron powder diffraction, and multiple spectroscopic techniques reveal the binding mechanisms of benzene and cyclohexane in these materials. We also report the first example of direct visualization of reversible binding of benzene at an open Cu(II) site within metal-organic frameworks.
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Feb 2023
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Jiangnan
Li
,
Zi
Wang
,
Yinlin
Chen
,
Yongqiang
Cheng
,
Luke L.
Daemen
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Sarah J.
Day
,
Anibal J.
Ramirez-Cuesta
,
Martin
Schroeder
,
Sihai
Yang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[31365]
Open Access
Abstract: Increasing levels of air pollution are driving the need for the development of new processes that take “waste-to-chemicals”. Herein, we report the capture and conversion under ambient conditions of a major air pollutant, NO2, using a robust metal-organic framework (MOF) material, Zr-bptc (H4bptc = 3,3′,5,5′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid), comprising {Zr6(μ3-O)4(μ3-OH)4(COO)12} clusters linked by 4-connected bptc4– ligands in an ftw topology. At 298 K, Zr-bptc shows exceptional stability and adsorption of NO2 at both low (4.9 mmol g–1 at 10 mbar) and high pressures (13.8 mmol g–1 at 1.0 bar), as measured by isotherm experiments. Dynamic breakthrough experiments have confirmed the selective retention of NO2 by Zr-bptc at low concentrations under both dry and wet conditions. The immobilized NO2 can be readily transformed into valuable nitro compounds relevant to construction, agrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries. In situ crystallographic and spectroscopic studies reveal strong binding interactions of NO2 to the {Zr6(μ3-O)4(μ3-OH)4(COO)12} cluster node. This study paves a circular pathway to enable the integration of nitrogen-based air pollutants into the production of fine chemicals.
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Oct 2022
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I20-EDE-Energy Dispersive EXAFS (EDE)
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Mengtian
Fan
,
Shaojun
Xu
,
Bing
An
,
Alena M.
Sheveleva
,
Alexander
Betts
,
Joseph
Hurd
,
Zhaodong
Zhu
,
Meng
He
,
Dinu
Iuga
,
Longfei
Lin
,
Xinchen
Kang
,
Christopher M. A.
Parlett
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Luke L.
Keenan
,
Daniel
Lee
,
Martin P.
Attfield
,
Sihai
Yang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[28575]
Abstract: The production of conjugated C4-C5 dienes from biomass can enable the sustainable synthesis of many important polymers and liquid fuels. Here, we report the first example of bimetallic (Nb, Al)-atomically doped mesoporous silica, denoted as AlNb-MCM-41, which affords quantitative conversion of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) to pentadienes with a high selectivity of 91%. The incorporation of Al(III) and Nb(V) sites into the framework of AlNb-MCM-41 has effectively tuned the nature and distribution of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites within the structure. Operando X-ray absorption, diffuse reflectance infrared and solid-state NMR spectroscopy collectively reveal the molecular mechanism of the conversion of adsorbed 2-MTHF over AlNb-MCM-41. Specifically, the atomically-dispersed Nb(V) sites play an important role in binding 2-MTHF to drive the conversion. Overall, this study highlights the potential of hetero-atomic mesoporous solids for the manufacture of renewable materials.
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Oct 2022
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I19-Small Molecule Single Crystal Diffraction
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Deepak
Asthana
,
Dean
Thomas
,
Selena J.
Lockyer
,
Adam
Brookfield
,
Grigore A.
Timco
,
Iñigo J.
Vitorica-Yrezabal
,
George F. S.
Whitehead
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
David
Collison
,
David A.
Leigh
,
Richard E. P.
Winpenny
Open Access
Abstract: Polymer beads have been used as the core of magnetic particles for around twenty years. Here we report studies to attach polymetallic complexes to polymer beads for the first time, producing beads of around 115 microns diameter that are attached to 1014 hybrid inorganic-organic [2]rotaxanes. The bead is then formally a [1014] rotaxane. The number of complexes attached is counted by EPR spectroscopy after including TEMPO radicals within the thread of the hybrid [2]rotaxanes.
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Jun 2022
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B22-Multimode InfraRed imaging And Microspectroscopy
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Bing
An
,
Zhe
Li
,
Zi
Wang
,
Xiangdi
Zeng
,
Xue
Han
,
Yongqiang
Chen
,
Alena M.
Sheveleva
,
Zhongyue
Zhang
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Mark D.
Frogley
,
Anibal J.
Ramirez-Cuesta
,
Louise S.
Natrajan
,
Cheng
Wang
,
Wenbin
Li
,
Sihai
Yang
,
Martin
Schroeder
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[23782]
Abstract: Natural gas, consisting mainly of methane (CH4), has a relatively low energy density at ambient conditions (~36 kJ l−1). Partial oxidation of CH4 to methanol (CH3OH) lifts the energy density to ~17 MJ l−1 and drives the production of numerous chemicals. In nature, this is achieved by methane monooxygenase with di-iron sites, which is extremely challenging to mimic in artificial systems due to the high dissociation energy of the C–H bond in CH4 (439 kJ mol−1) and facile over-oxidation of CH3OH to CO and CO2. Here we report the direct photo-oxidation of CH4 over mono-iron hydroxyl sites immobilized within a metal–organic framework, PMOF-RuFe(OH). Under ambient and flow conditions in the presence of H2O and O2, CH4 is converted to CH3OH with 100% selectivity and a time yield of 8.81 ± 0.34 mmol gcat−1 h−1 (versus 5.05 mmol gcat−1 h−1 for methane monooxygenase). By using operando spectroscopic and modelling techniques, we find that confined mono-iron hydroxyl sites bind CH4 by forming an [Fe–OH···CH4] intermediate, thus lowering the barrier for C–H bond activation. The confinement of mono-iron hydroxyl sites in a porous matrix demonstrates a strategy for C–H bond activation in CH4 to drive the direct photosynthesis of CH3OH.
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Jun 2022
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B18-Core EXAFS
B22-Multimode InfraRed imaging And Microspectroscopy
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Yujie
Ma
,
Wanpeng
Lu
,
Xue
Han
,
Yinlin
Chen
,
Ivan
Da Silva
,
Daniel
Lee
,
Alena M.
Sheveleva
,
Zi
Wang
,
Jiangnan
Li
,
Weiyao
Li
,
Mengtian
Fan
,
Shaojun
Xu
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Yongqiang
Cheng
,
Svemir
Rudic
,
Pascal
Manuel
,
Mark D.
Frogley
,
Anibal J.
Ramirez-Cuesta
,
Martin
Schroeder
,
Sihai
Yang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[19850]
Open Access
Abstract: The presence of active sites in metal–organic framework (MOF) materials can control and affect their performance significantly in adsorption and catalysis. However, revealing the interactions between the substrate and active sites in MOFs at atomic precision remains a challenging task. Here, we report the direct observation of binding of NH3 in a series of UiO-66 materials containing atomically dispersed defects and open Cu(I) and Cu(II) sites. While all MOFs in this series exhibit similar surface areas (1111–1135 m2 g–1), decoration of the −OH site in UiO-66-defect with Cu(II) results in a 43% enhancement of the isothermal uptake of NH3 at 273 K and 1.0 bar from 11.8 in UiO-66-defect to 16.9 mmol g–1 in UiO-66-CuII. A 100% enhancement of dynamic adsorption of NH3 at a concentration level of 630 ppm from 2.07 mmol g–1 in UiO-66-defect to 4.15 mmol g–1 in UiO-66-CuII at 298 K is observed. In situ neutron powder diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and electron paramagnetic resonance, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and infrared spectroscopies, coupled with modeling reveal that the enhanced NH3 uptake in UiO-66-CuII originates from a {Cu(II)···NH3} interaction, with a reversible change in geometry at Cu(II) from near-linear to trigonal coordination. This work represents the first example of structural elucidation of NH3 binding in MOFs containing open metal sites and will inform the design of new efficient MOF sorbents by targeted control of active sites for NH3 capture and storage.
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May 2022
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Tian
Luo
,
Lili
Li
,
Yinlin
Chen
,
Jie
An
,
Chengcheng
Liu
,
Zheng
Yan
,
Joseph H.
Carter
,
Xue
Han
,
Alena M.
Sheveleva
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Chiu C.
Tang
,
Martin
Schroeder
,
Sihai
Yang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15972]
Open Access
Abstract: Construction of C-C bonds via reductive coupling of aldehydes and ketones is hindered by the highly negative reduction potential of these carbonyl substrates, particularly ketones, and this renders the formation of ketyl radicals extremely endergonic. Here, we report the efficient activation of carbonyl compounds by the formation of specific host-guest interactions in a hydroxyl-decorated porous photocatalyst. MFM-300(Cr) exhibits a band gap of 1.75 eV and shows excellent catalytic activity and stability towards the photoreductive coupling of 30 different aldehydes and ketones to the corresponding 1,2-diols at room temperature. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy confirm the generation of ketyl radicals via confinement within MFM-300(Cr). This protocol removes simultaneously the need for a precious metal-based photocatalyst or for amine-based sacrificial agents for the photochemical synthesis.
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Jun 2021
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Martin
Schroeder
,
Louis
Kimberley
,
Alena M.
Sheveleva
,
Jiangnan
Li
,
Joseph H.
Carter
,
Xinchen
Kang
,
Gemma L.
Smith
,
Xue
Han
,
Sarah J.
Day
,
Chiu C.
Tang
,
Floriana
Tuna
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Sihai
Yang
Open Access
Abstract: Selective oxidation of benzylic C‐H compounds to ketones is important for the production of a wide range of fine chemicals, and is often achieved using toxic or precious metals catalysts. Here, we report the efficient oxidation of benzylic C‐H groups in a broad range of substrates under mild conditions over a robust metal‐organic framework material, MFM‐170, incorporating redox‐active [Cu2II(O2CR)4] paddlewheel nodes. A comprehensive investigation employing electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and synchrotron X‐ray diffraction has identified the critical role of the paddlewheel moiety in activating the oxidant tBuOOH (t‐butyl hydroperoxide) via partial reduction to [CuIICuI(O2CR)4] species.
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Apr 2021
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I19-Small Molecule Single Crystal Diffraction
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Helen M.
O’connor
,
Sergio
Sanz
,
Aaron J.
Scott
,
Mateusz B.
Pitak
,
Wim T.
Klooster
,
Simon J.
Coles
,
Nicholas F.
Chilton
,
Eric J. L.
Mcinnes
,
Paul J.
Lusby
,
Høgni
Weihe
,
Stergios
Piligkos
,
Euan K.
Brechin
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11238]
Open Access
Abstract: Three new heterometallic [CrIII8NiII6] coordination cubes of formulae [CrIII8NiII6L24(H2O)12](NO3)12 (1), [CrIII8NiII6L24(MeCN)7(H2O)5](ClO4)12 (2), and [CrIII8NiII6L24Cl12] (3) (where HL = 1-(4-pyridyl)butane-1,3-dione), were synthesised using the paramagnetic metalloligand [CrIIIL3] and the corresponding NiII salt. The magnetic skeleton of each capsule describes a face-centred cube in which the eight CrIII and six NiII ions occupy the eight vertices and six faces of the structure, respectively. Direct current magnetic susceptibility measurements on (1) reveal weak ferromagnetic interactions between the CrIII and NiII ions, with JCr-Ni = + 0.045 cm−1. EPR spectra are consistent with weak exchange, being dominated by the zero-field splitting of the CrIII ions. Excluding wheel-like structures, examples of large heterometallic clusters containing both CrIII and NiII ions are rather rare, and we demonstrate that the use of metalloligands with predictable bonding modes allows for a modular approach to building families of related polymetallic complexes. Compounds (1)–(3) join the previously published, structurally related family of [MIII8MII6] cubes, where MIII = Cr, Fe and MII = Cu, Co, Mn, Pd.
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Feb 2021
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