Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.112, No.24, 7257-7266, 2008
Pure silica chabazite molecular spring: A structural study on water intrusion-extrusion processes
Water intrusion-extrusion isotherms performed at room temperature on hydrophobic pure silica chabazite show that the water-Si-CHA system displays real spring behavior. However, differences in pressure-volume diagrams are observed between the first and the other intrusion-extrusion cycles, indicating that some water molecules interact with the inorganic framework after the first intrusion. Si-29 and especially H-1 solid-state NMR showed the creation of new defect sites upon the intrusion-extrusion of water and the existence of two kinds of water molecules trapped in the supercage of Si-CHA: a first layer of water strongly hydrogen bonded with the silanols of the framework and a subsequent layer of liquidlike physisorbed water molecules undergoing interaction with the first layer. This hydrogen bonding scheme is also supported by X-ray powder diffraction.