In this Experimental Physical Chemistry project, funded by the Chemistry Division, Prof. Cynthia Jameson will use xenon NMR and molecular dynamic simulations to determine the nature of elementary processes in microporous zeolites. By monitoring how xenon is partitioned between cages of different size in the zeolite, long standing questions regarding the diffusivity of adsorbates and the potential role of intercage transfer in catalysis will be answered. %%% Zeolites, microporous solids which have enormous utility as catalysts, are among the most significant commercially available classes of materials. Prof. Cynthia Jameson (Univ. of Illinois, Chicago Circle) will adsorb xenon gas into these materials, and use a battery of modern spectroscopic and computational techniques to determine how the xenon atoms are distributed among the pores, how they move from place to place, and how long they stay there. The result will be an improved understanding of dynamic events related to catalytic activity of the micropores.
