EMSL: Chuck Peden's Publications

Hu JZ, JA Sears, Jr, JH Kwak, DW Hoyt, Y Wang, and CHF Peden. 2009. "An Isotropic Chemical Shift-Chemical Shift Anisotropic Correlation Experiment Using Discrete Magic Angle Turning." Journal of Magnetic Resonance 198(1):105-110. Abstract An isotropic-anisotropic shift 2D correlation spectroscopy is introduced that combines the advantages of both magic angle turning (MAT) and magic angle hopping (MAH) technologies. In this new approach, denoted DMAT for "discrete magic angle turning", the sample rotates clockwise followed by an anticlockwise rotation of exactly the same amount with each rotation less or equal than 360 degrees but greater than 240 degrees, with the rotation speed being constant only for times related to the evolution dimension. This back and forth rotation is repeated and synchronized with a special radio frequency (RF) pulse sequence to produce an isotropic-anisotropic shift 2D correlation spectrum. For any spin-interaction of rank-2 such as chemical shift anisotropy, isotropic magnetic susceptibility interaction, and residual homonuclear dipolar interaction in biological fluid samples, the projection along the isotropic dimension is a high resolution spectrum. Since a less than 360 degrees sample rotation is involved, the design potentially allows for in situ control over physical parameters such as pressure, flow conditions, feed compositions, and temperature so that true in-situ NMR investigations can be carried out.

Hu JZ, JH Kwak, Y Wang, CHF Peden, H Zheng, D Ma, and X Bao. 2009. "Studies of the Active Sites for Methane Dehydroaromatization Using Ultrahigh-Field Solid-State Mo95 NMR Spectroscopy." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113(7):2936-2942. doi:10.1021/jp8107914 Abstract Abstract It is found that the spin-lattice relaxation time, T1, corresponding to the surface exchanged molybdenum species in Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts is short, i.e., less than about 100ms at 21.1 T while the value of T1 for the crystallite MoO3 molecules is longer, i.e., about 30 s. Such a difference, more than two orders in magnitude, is utilized to differentiate the exchanged Mo species from the agglomerate MoO3 in Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst. An approximately linear correlation between the amount of exchanged species and the aromatics formation rate is obtained. This result significantly strengthens our prior conclusion that the exchanged Mo species are the active centers for the methane dehydroaromatization reaction on Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 3722-3723). Our results also suggest that one exchanged Mo atom anchors on two ion exchange sites and the exchanged Mo species on catalysts are possibly monomeric. Analyzing the linshapes obtained from both the 95Mo MAS and the static spectra indicates that the exchanged sites are heterogeneous, resulting in a significantly broadened MAS spectrum and essentially a featureless but nearly symmetric static lineshape for the exchanged Mo species. Furthermore, for crystallite MoO3 powder sample, the parameters related to the electric-field-gradient (EFG) tensor, the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) and the three Euler angles required to align the CSA principal axis system with the quadrupolar principal axis system are determined by analyzing both the 95Mo MAS and the static spectra obtained at ultra-high field of 21.1 T. The new results obtained from this study on crystallite MoO3 powders should help to clarify some of the contradictions in prior literature reports from other groups. Key words: 95Mo NMR, MAS, relaxation, surface exchanged species, HZSM-5, electric-field-gradient (EFG), chemical shift anisotropy (CSA), active centers.

Kim DH, J Szanyi, JH Kwak, X Wang, JC Hanson, MH Engelhard, and CHF Peden. 2009. "Effects of sulfation level on the desulfation behavior of pre-sulfated Pt BaO/Al2O3 lean NOx trap catalysts: a combined H2 Temperature-Programmed Reaction, in-situ sulfur K-edge X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Time-Resolved X-ray Diffraction Study." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113(17):7336-7341. doi:10.1021/jp900304h Abstract Desulfation by hydrogen of pre-sulfated Pt(2wt%) BaO(20wt%)/Al2O3 with various sulfur loading (S/Ba = 0.12, 0.31 and 0.62) were investigated by combining H2 temperature programmed reaction (TPRX), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), in-situ sulfur K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES), and synchrotron time-resolved x-ray diffraction (TR-XRD) techniques. We find that the amount of H2S desorbed during the desulfation in the H2 TPRX experiments is not proportional to the amount of initial sulfur loading. The results of both in-situ sulfur K-edge XANES and TR-XRD show that at low sulfur loadings, sulfates were transformed to a BaS phase and remained in the catalyst, rather than being removed as H2S. On the other hand, when the deposited sulfur level exceeded a certain threshold (at least S/Ba = 0.31) sulfates were reduced to form H2S, and the relative amount of the residual sulfide species in the catalyst was much less than at low sulfur loading. Unlike samples with high sulfur loading (e.g., S/Ba = 0.62), H2O did not promote the desulfation for the sample with S/Ba of 0.12, implying that the formed BaS species originating from the reduction of sulfates at low sulfur loading are more stable to hydrolysis. The results of this combined spectroscopy investigation provide clear evidence to show that sulfates at low sulfur loadings are less likely to be removed as H2S and have a greater tendency to be transformed to BaS on the material, leading to the conclusion that desulfation behavior of Pt BaO/Al2O3 lean NOx trap catalysts is markedly dependent on the sulfation levels.

Kwak JH, JZ Hu, D Mei, CWW Yi, DH Kim, CHF Peden, L Allard, and J Szanyi. 2009. "Coordinatively unsaturated Al3+ centers as binding sites for active catalyst phases on γ-Al2O3." Science 325(5948):1670-1673. doi:10.1126/science.1176745 Abstract A combination of ultrahigh resolution spectroscopy and microscopy techniques (ultrahigh magnetic field solid state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM)) coupled with first principles DFT calculations reveal the nature of anchoring sites of a catalytically active phase onto the surface of γ-Al2O3. The results obtained unambiguously prove that coordinatively unsaturated penta-coordinate Al3+ (Al3+penta) centers present on the (100) facets of the γ-Al2O3 surface are the sites where the anchoring of Pt occurs. At low loadings, the active catalytic phase is atomically dispersed on the support surface (Pt/ Al3+penta=1), while two dimensional Pt rafts form at higher coverages.

Kwak JH, D Mei, CWW Yi, DH Kim, CHF Peden, L Allard, and J Szanyi. 2009. "Understanding the nature of surface nitrates in BaO/gamma-Al2O3 NOx storage materials: A combined experimental and theoretical study ." Journal of Catalysis 261(1):17-22. Abstract The special role of the interface between the active catalytic phase (metal or metal oxide) and the oxide support in determining the properties of practical catalysts has long been recognized; however, it is still very poorly understood in most systems

Mei D, Q Ge, JH Kwak, DH Kim, CM Verrier, J Szanyi, and CHF Peden. 2009. "Characterization of Surface and Bulk Nitrates of γ-Al2O3-Supported Alkaline Earth Oxides using Density Functional Theory." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP 11(18):3380-3389. doi:10.1039/b819347a Abstract “Surface" and "bulk" nitrates formed on a series of alkaline earth oxides (AEOs), AE(NO3)2, were investigated using first-principles density functional theory calculations. The formation of these surface and bulk nitrates was modeled by the adsorption of NO2+NO3 pairs on gamma-Al2O3-supported monomeric AEOs (MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO) and on the extended AEO(001) surfaces, respectively. The calculated vibrational frequencies of the surface and bulk nitrates based on our proposed models are in good agreement with experimental measurements of AEO/gamma-Al2O3 materials after prolonged NO2 exposure. This indicates that experimentally observed "surface" nitrates are most likely formed with isolated two dimensional (including monomeric) AEO clusters on the gamma-Al2O3 substrate, while the "bulk" nitrates are formed on exposed (including (001)) surfaces (and likely in the bulk as well) of large three dimensional AEO particles supported on the gamma-Al2O3 substrate. Also in line with the experiments, our calculations show that the low and high frequency components of the vibrations for both surface and bulk nitrates are systematically red shifted with the increasing basicity and cationic size of the AEOs. The adsorption strengths of NO2+NO3 pairs are nearly the same for the series of alumina-supported monomeric AEOs, while the adsorption strengths of NO2+NO3 pairs on the AEO surfaces increase in the order of MgO < CaO < SrO ~ BaO. Compared to the NO2+NO3 pair that only interacts with monomeric AEOs, the stability of NO2+NO3 pairs that interact with both the monomeric AEO and the gamma-Al2O3 substrate is enhanced by about 0.5 eV. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by Battelle for the US Department of Energy.

Mei D, Q Ge, J Szanyi, and CHF Peden. 2009. "First-principles Analysis of NOx Adsorption on Anhydrous γ-Al2O3 Surfaces." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113(18):7779-7789. doi:10.1021/jp8103563 Abstract The interaction of nitrogen oxides NOx (x=1-3) with gamma Al2O3 has been investigated using first-principles density functional theory calculations. NO and NO2 weakly physisorb on the clean, dehydrated (100) and (110) surfaces of gamma Al2O3, whereas the adsorption of the NO3 radical is rather strong. Only the basic-like O-down adsorption configurations were found to be stable. The interaction between NOx and gamma Al2O3 can be described as a surface mediated electron transfer process. For single NOx adsorption, greater electron transfer from the surface to the adsorbate (negatively charged) yields stronger interactions between NOx and the surface. The adsorption of four combinations of NOx+NOy (x=1-3, y=2, 3) pairs on the (100) and the (110) facets of gamma Al2O3 were investigated. Except for the NO2+NO2 pair, a strong cooperative effect that substantially enhances the stability of NOx on both gamma Al2O3 surfaces was found. This cooperative effect consists of surface-mediated electron transfer processes resulting in a favorable electrostatic interaction between two adsorbed NOx species. The pair was found to be the thermodynamically most stable state among the co-adsorbed NOx+NOy pairs on both gamma Al2O3 surfaces. The results are used to analyze the experimentally observed NOx evolution during temperature programmed desorption from NO2-saturated gamma Al2O3 substrates. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by Battelle for the US Department of Energy.

She X, M Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, CM Wang, Y Wang, and CHF Peden. 2009. "SO2-induced stability of Ag-alumina catalysts in the SCR of NO with methane." Applied Catalysis. B, Environmental 88(1-2):98-105. Abstract We report on a stabilization effect on the structure and activity of Ag/Al2O3 for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with CH4 imparted by the presence of SO2 in the exhaust gasmixture. The reaction is carried out at temperature above 600 8C to keep the surface partially free of sulfates. In SO2-free gases, catalyst deactivation is fast and measurable at these temperatures. Time-resolved TEM analyses of used samples have determined that deactivation is due to sintering of silver from well-dispersed clusters to nanoparticles to micrometer-size particles with time-on-stream at 625 8C. However, sintering of silver was dramatically suppressed by the presence of SO2 in the reaction gas mixture. The structural stabilization by SO2 was accompanied by stable catalyst activity for the NO reduction to N2. The direct oxidation of methane was suppressed, thus the methane selectivity was improved in SO2-laden gas mixtures. In tests with high-content silver alumina with some of the silver present in metallic form, an increase in the SCR activity was found in SO2-containing gas mixtures. This is attributed to redispersion of the silver particles by SO2, an unexpected finding. The catalyst performance was reversible over many cycles of operation at 625 8C with the SO2 switched on and off in the gas mixture.

Yang Y, CA Mims, RS Disselkamp, CHF Peden, and CT Campbell. 2009. "Simultaneous MS-IR Studies of Surface Formate Reactivity Under Methanol Synthesis Conditions on Cu/SiO2." Topics in Catalysis 52(10):1440-1447. doi:10.1007/s11244-009-9320-3 Abstract The coverages and surface lifetimes of copper-bound formates on Cu/SiO2 catalysts, and the steady-state rates of reverse water-gas shift and methanol synthesis have been measured simultaneously by mass (MS) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies under a variety of elevated pressure conditions at temperatures between 140 and 160°C. DCOO lifetimes under steady state catalytic conditions in CO2:D2 atmospheres were measured by 12C – 13C isotope transients (SSITKA). The values range from 220s at 160°C to 660s at 140°C. The catalytic rates of both reverse water gas shift (RWGS) and methanol synthesis are ~100-fold slower than this formate removal rate back to CO2+1/2 H2, and thus they do not significantly influence the formate lifetime or coverage at steady state. The formate coverage is instead determined by formate’s rapid production / decomposition equilibrium with gas phase CO2+H2. The results are consistent with formate being an intermediate in methanol synthesis, but with the rate-controlling step being after formate production (for example, its further hydrogenation to methoxy). A 2-3 fold shorter life time (faster decomposition rate) was observed for formate under reactions conditions when both D2 and CO2 are present than in pure Ar or D2+Ar alone, attributed to effects of coadsorbates (produced in D2 and CO2) on adsorbed formate reaction pathways. The carbon which appears in the methanol product spends a longer time on the surface than the formate species, 1.8 times as long at 140°C. The additional delay on the surface is attributed in part to readsorption of methanol on the catalyst, thus obscuring the mechanistic link between formate and methanol.

Zhu K, JZ Hu, X She, J Liu, Z Nie, Y Wang, CHF Peden, and JH Kwak. 2009. "Characterization of Dispersed Heteropoly Acid on Mesoporous Zeolite Using Solid-State P-31 NMR Spin-Lattice Relaxation." Journal of the American Chemical Society 131(28):9715-9721. doi:10.1021/ja901317r Abstract Dispersion and quantitative characterization of supported catalysts is a grand challenge in catalytic science. In this paper, heteropoly acid H3PW12O40 (HPA) is dispersed on mesoporous zeolite silicalite-1 derived from hydrothermal synthesis using carbon black nanoparticle templates, and the catalytic activity is studied for 1-butene isomerization. The HPAs supported on conventional zeolite and on mesoporous zeolite exhibit very different activities and thus provide good model systems to investigate the structure dependence of the catalytic properties. The HPA on mesoporous silicalite-1 shows enhanced catalytic activity for 1-butene isomerization, while HPA on conventional silicalite-1 exhibits low activity. To elucidate the structural difference, supported HPA catalysts are characterized using a variety of techniques, including 31P magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, and are shown to contain a range of species on both mesoporous and conventional zeolites. However, contrary to studies reported in the literature, conventional NMR techniques and chemical shifts alone do not provide sufficient information to distinguish the dispersed and aggregated surface species. The dispersed phase and the nondispersed phase can only be unambiguously and quantitatively characterized using spin-lattice relaxation NMR techniques. The HPA supported on mesoporous zeolite contains a fast relaxation component related to the dispersed catalyst, giving a much higher activity, while the HPA supported on conventional zeolite has essentially only the slow relaxation component with very low activity. The results obtained from this work demonstrate that the combination of spinning sideband fitting and spin-lattice relaxation techniques can provide detailed structural information on not only the Keggin structure for HPA but also the degree of dispersion on the support.