Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.108, No.42, 16420-16426, 2004
N-15 solid-state NMR characterization of ammonia adsorption environments in 3A zeolite molecular sieves
The quantitative analysis of ammonia binding sites in 3A zeolite molecular sieves using solid-state N-15 MAS NMR spectroscopy is reported. By utilizing N-15-enriched ammonia ((NH3)-N-15) gas, the different adsorption/binding sites within the zeolite were characterized as a function of NH3 loading. Using N-15 MAS NMR, multiple sites were resolved that have distinct cross-polarization dynamics, relaxation, and chemical shift behavior. A combination of N-15/Na-23 and N-15/Al-27 TRAPDOR NMR methods was used to demonstrate significant dipolar coupling between adsorbed ammonia molecules and both Na cations and Al framework species in the zeolite cage. An estimate of the Na-23-N-15 and Al-27-N-15 distance was obtained from simulation of the TRAPDOR results. Two-dimensional H-1-->N-15 CP-MAS NMR exchange spectroscopy was implemented to probe dynamics between the two primary adsorbed ammonia environments. In the 3A zeolite, the observed exchange process between the ammonia sites does not display a significant temperature dependence, indicating a spin-diffusion mechanism.