29Si Magic Angle Spinning NMR Research Articles

An insight into the structural interpretation of network modification in Alkali-fluoroborosilicate glasses for its applicability in green luminescence and radiation shielding

The limited knowledge on the scientific aspects of the structural features of glassy matrices with and without the activator ions becomes a bottleneck in elucidating the interesting features of functional glassy matrices. Herein, we report the green luminescence and enhanced radiation shielding features imparted on BaO+ZnF2+K2O +SiO2+B2O3 glasses when it is activated by RE3+ (Tb3+) ions for the very first time. Applicability of the proposed matrix was investigated on the basis of extensive structural investigation carried through XRD, FTIR, Raman and SSNMR (Solid-State NMR) spectroscopies. The Alkali-fluoroborosilicate glassy network is characterized through 29Si, 19F and 11B magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR. Existence of various structural units/bonds (Tb-O, F-B, Si-O-Si and Si-O-B bonds) within the glassy system was validated and their structural formations by means of increase in Boron content were substantially investigated. Optical properties like, optical absorption, photoluminescence emission and excitation were carried out for rare earth (Tb3+) activated Alkali-fluoroborosilicate glass for its suitability in green luminescence applications. Radiation shielding parameters such as Mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), Half Value Layer (HVL), Mean Free Path (MFP), Effective Electron Density (Neff) and Effective Atomic Number (ZEff) were also evaluated for investigating its potentiality as a radiation shielding material. The shielding features found to be enhanced with the integration of Tb3+ ions with the prepared glasses.

Immobilization of isolated dimethyltin species on crystalline silicates through surface modification of layered octosilicate.

Single metal atoms supported on silica are attractive catalysts, and precise control of the local environment around the metal species is essential. Crystalline silica is useful as an efficient support for the incorporation of well-defined metal sites. Dimethyltin species were regularly grafted onto the layer surfaces of layered octosilicate, a type of two-dimensional (2D) crystalline silica. Dimethyltin dichlorides react with the surface silanol (SiOH) groups of the silicate layers. The formation of Si-O-Sn bonds was confirmed by 29Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis showed the four-coordinated Sn species. These results suggested the presence of well-defined dipodal dimethyltin species on the layer surfaces. The degree of modification of the silanol groups with the dimethyltin groups increased with increasing amounts of dimethyltin dichloride; however, the maximum degree of modification was approximately 50%. This value was interpreted as an alternate modification of the octosilicate reaction sites with dimethyltin groups. These results demonstrate the potential for developing highly active single metal catalysts with a high density of regularly arranged active sites on high surface area supports.

Catalytic Enhancement of Cyclohexene Hydration by Ga-Doped ZSM-5 Zeolites

Ga-doped ZSM-5 zeolites were directly synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal method without organic templates and calcination and then investigated in the cyclohexene hydration reaction. The structure, component, textural properties, and acidity of the as-prepared samples were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), pyridine-chemisorbed IR (Py-IR), and 71Ga, 27Al, 29Si, and 1H magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR techniques. The characterization results showed that the introduction of Ga atoms into the ZSM-5 zeolite framework is much easier than Al atoms and beneficial to promote the formation of small-sized crystals. The number of Brønsted acid sites of Ga-doped ZSM-5 samples obviously increased compared with Ga0-ZSM-5. Additionally, the highest cyclohexanol yield (10.1%) was achieved over the Ga3-ZSM-5 sample, while the cyclohexanol yield of the Ga0-ZSM-5 sample was 8.6%. This result indicated that the improved catalytic performance is related to its larger external surface area, smaller particle size, and more Brønsted acid sites derived from Si–OH–Al and Si–OH–Ga of Ga3-ZSM-5. Notably, the green route reduces harmful gas emission and provides a basis for doping other heteroatoms to regulate the catalytic performance of zeolites, especially in industrial production.

Vibrational disorder and densification-induced homogenization of local elasticity in silicate glasses

We report the effect of structural compaction on the statistics of elastic disorder in a silicate glass, using heterogeneous elasticity theory with the coherent potential approximation (HET-CPA) and a log-normal distribution of the spatial fluctuations of the shear modulus. The object of our study, a soda lime magnesia silicate glass, is compacted by hot-compression up to 2 GPa (corresponding to a permanent densification of ~ 5%). Using THz vibrational spectroscopic data and bulk mechanical properties as inputs, HET-CPA evaluates the degree of disorder in terms of the length-scale of elastic fluctuations and the non-affine part of the shear modulus. Permanent densification decreases the extent of non-affine elasticity, resulting in a more homogeneous distribution of strain energy, while also decreasing the correlation length of elastic heterogeneity. Complementary 29Si magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopic data provide a short-range rationale for the effect of compression on glass structure in terms of a narrowing of the Si–O–Si bond-angle and the Si–Si distance.

Mixed Alkali Effect in Silicate Glass Structure: Viewpoint of 29Si Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Statistical Mechanics

The mixed alkali effect in glasses is the deviation from linear property changes when alkali cations are mixed. The extent of this effect and its structural origin remain topics of interest. In this work, we use a statistical mechanics approach to predict the composition-structure relationship in mixed modifier Na2O-K2O-SiO2 glasses. This is achieved by accounting for the enthalpy between each pairwise alkali ion and silicate unit interaction. The initial enthalpy parameters are obtained based on experimental structural data for binary Na2O-SiO2 and K2O-SiO2 glasses, which can be transferred to predict the short-range order structure of mixed modifier glasses without additional free parameters. To this end, we have performed 29Si magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy measurements on y(xNa2O-(1 - x)K2O)-(100 - y)SiO2 glasses with x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 and y = 34, 42, and 50. Good agreement between experimental data and model predictions are observed. Finally, we use this information to discuss the relative entropic and enthalpic contributions to the mixed modifier effect in silicate glass structure.

Local Structures of Two-Dimensional Zeolites-Mordenite and ZSM-5-Probed by Multinuclear NMR.

Mesostructured pillared zeolite materials in the form of lamellar phases with a crystal structure of mordenite (MOR) and ZSM-5 (MFI) were grown using CTAB as an agent that creates mesopores, in a one-pot synthesis; then into the CTAB layers separating the 2D zeolite plates were introduced by diffusion the TEOS molecules which were further hydrolyzed, and finally the material was annealed to remove the organic phase, leaving the 2D zeolite plates separated by pillars of silicon dioxide. To monitor the successive structural changes and the state of the atoms of the zeolite framework and organic compounds at all the steps of the synthesis of pillared MOR and MFI zeolites, the nuclear magnetic resonance method (NMR) with magic angle spinning (MAS) was applied. The 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR spectra confirm the regularity of the zeolite frameworks of the as synthetized materials. Analysis of the 1H and 13C MAS NMR spectra and an experiment with variable contact time evidence a strong interaction between the charged “heads” –[N(CH3)3]+ of CTAB and the zeolite framework at the place of [AlO4]− location. According to 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR the evacuation of organic cations leads to a partial but not critical collapse of the local zeolite structure.

Characterization of fly ash-cement paste and molecular structure in the presence of seawater by 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy

Cement-based materials commonly suffer attacking from detrimental ions in marine environment and the degradation mechanism for material is complicated. To study the effect of curing stage on degradation process, the microstructure and molecular structure of fly ash and Portland cement paste curing at 1 day, 7 day, 14 day and 28 day with w/c ratio of 0.35 in seawater solutions for 90 days are investigated by 27Al and 29Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy, XRD and SEM tests. It reveals that more Friedal salt and Aft hydration phase are formed when the samples curing at early stage (1 day) are immersed in the sea water due to unhydrated and porous microstructure subject to sulfate and chloride ions. Based on the 29Si spectrum analysis, the increasing of mean silicate chain length of C-S-H and the degrading for AlO4/SiO4 ratio demonstrate that detrimental ions in seawater lead to the de-aluminization and polymerization for the cement hydrate. Furthermore, 27Al NMR test observes phase transformation from Al[4] in C-S-H gel to Al[6] Aft phase for samples in marine environment. Prolonging the curing age and incorporating fly ash in cement paste can significantly help resist the degradation for aluminate-silicate chains in C-S-H gel and aluminate phase transformation. More importantly, the hydration degrees for cement and fly ash computed separately illustrate that the aggressive ions in seawater act as activating role on fly ash, contributing to the secondary hydration of fly ash–cement paste. The activation effect is more pronounced for samples suffer to marine environment especially in the very early curing age, which significantly help resist aggressive ions as the cement paste in low hydration degree. Hopefully, this study can provide valuable insights on design of durable and sustainable marine concrete.

2-Mercaptopyrimidine-functionalized mesostructured silicas to develop electrochemical sensors for a rapid control of scopolamine in tea and herbal tea infusions

Mesostructured silicas were synthesized and chemically functionalized with a 2-mercaptopyrimidine (MPY)-derivative. Bare and functionalized silicas (MSU-2, HMS, SBA-15, MSU-2-MPY, HMS-MPY and SBA-15-MPY) were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, transmission electron and scanning electron microscopy, 29Si and 13C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and used to prepare modified carbon paste electrodes (CPEs). The electrodes properties were studied using potassium ferrocyanide and scopolamine as probes employing cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Results proved that MPY groups on the silica surface were necessary to improve the sensitivity in the voltammetric determination of scopolamine. CPE modified with HMS-MPY exhibited higher peak current toward the oxidation of scopolamine, with a well-defined oxidation peak at + 1.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in DPV. This fact can be attributed to the high electroactive area of this material, with 3 D wormhole-like channel structure that favored the scopolamine diffusion. Under optimum conditions, HMS-MPY-CPE exhibited a wider linearity range, from 0.9 to 200 μM, with a detection limit of 0.3 μM and good reproducibility by DPV. The developed sensor was successfully applied for a rapid determination of scopolamine in spiked tea and herbal tea infusion samples with good recoveries (between 83 ± 5 and 101 ± 1%).

Mysterious SiB3: Identifying the Relation between α- and β-SiB3

Binary silicon boride SiB3 has been reported to occur in two forms, as disordered and nonstoichiometric α-SiB3–x, which relates to the α-rhombohedral phase of boron, and as strictly ordered and stoichiometric β-SiB3. Similar to other boron-rich icosahedral solids, these SiB3 phases represent potentially interesting refractory materials. However, their thermal stability, formation conditions, and thermodynamic relation are poorly understood. Here, we map the formation conditions of α-SiB3–x and β-SiB3 and analyze their relative thermodynamic stabilities. α-SiB3–x is metastable (with respect to β-SiB3 and Si), and its formation is kinetically driven. Pure polycrystalline bulk samples may be obtained within hours when heating stoichiometric mixtures of elemental silicon and boron at temperatures 1200–1300 °C. At the same time, α-SiB3–x decomposes into SiB6 and Si, and optimum time-temperature synthesis conditions represent a trade-off between rates of formation and decomposition. The formation of stable β-SiB3 was observed after prolonged treatment (days to weeks) of elemental mixtures with ratios Si/B = 1:1–1:4 at temperatures 1175–1200 °C. The application of high pressures greatly improves the kinetics of SiB3 formation and allows decoupling of SiB3 formation from decomposition. Quantitative formation of β-SiB3 was seen at 1100 °C for samples pressurized to 5.5–8 GPa. β-SiB3 decomposes peritectoidally at temperatures between 1250 and 1300 °C. The highly ordered nature of β-SiB3 is reflected in its Raman spectrum, which features narrow and distinct lines. In contrast, the Raman spectrum of α-SiB3–x is characterized by broad bands, which show a clear relation to the vibrational modes of isostructural, ordered B6P. The detailed composition and structural properties of disordered α-SiB3–x were ascertained by a combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and 29Si magic angle spinning NMR experiments. Notably, the compositions of polycrystalline bulk samples (obtained at T ≤ 1200 °C) and single crystal samples (obtained from Si-rich molten Si–B mixtures at T > 1400 °C) are different, SiB2.93(7) and SiB2.64(2), respectively. The incorporation of Si in the polar position of B12 icosahedra results in highly strained cluster units. This disorder feature was accounted for in the refined crystal structure model by splitting the polar position into three sites. The electron-precise composition of α-SiB3–x is SiB2.5 and corresponds to the incorporation of, on average, two Si atoms in each B12 icosahedron. Accordingly, α-SiB3–x constitutes a mixture of B10Si2 and B11Si clusters. The structural and phase stability of α-SiB3–x were explored using a first-principles cluster expansion. The most stable composition at 0 K is SiB2.5, which however is unstable with respect to the decomposition β-SiB3 + Si. Modeling of the configurational and vibrational entropies suggests that α-SiB3–x only becomes more stable than β-SiB3 at temperatures above its decomposition into SiB6 and Si. Hence, we conclude that α-SiB3–x is metastable at all temperatures. Density functional theory electronic structure calculations yield band gaps of similar size for electron-precise α-SiB2.5 and β-SiB3, whereas α-SiB3 represents a p-type conductor.

Elucidation of correlated disorder in zeolite IM-18.

Classical crystallography is based on the translational periodicity of crystals and the analysis of discrete Bragg reflections. However, it is inadequate for determining disordered structures, of which the diffuse scattering is vital to evaluate the disorder level. The correlated disorder of IM-18 presents as zigzag chains arranged in translational periodicity and the double four-ring units randomly distributed along two dimensions. Supercell models regulated by multiple probabilities were systematically built to simulate the single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction patterns in order to ascertain the specific disorder configuration in the single-crystal or polycrystalline samples of IM-18. The presence of defects in the polycrystalline sample was proved by combining 29Si magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR and 1H-1H double quantum MAS NMR spectra, and was quantitatively explored by the simulation method. The method could also elucidate other disordered structures in polycrystalline or single-crystal samples, despite the presence of defects or multidimensional disorder.

Red- and green-emitting nano-clay materials doped with Eu3+ and/or Tb3.

Trivalent europium (Eu3+ ) and terbium (Tb3+ ) ions are important activator centers used in different host lattices to produce red and green emitting materials. The current work shows the design of new clay minerals to act as host lattices for rare earth (RE) ions. Based on the hectorite structure, nano-chlorohectorites and nano-fluorohectorites were developed by replacing the OH- present in the hectorite structure with Cl- or F- , thus avoiding the luminescence quenching expected due to the OH- groups. The produced matrices were characterized through X-ray powder diffraction (XPD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FT-IR, 29 Si MAS (magic angle spinning) NMR, nitrogen sorption, thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC) and luminescence measurements, indicating all good features expected from a host lattice for RE ions. The nano-clay materials were successfully doped with Eu3+ and/or Tb3+ to yield materials preserving the hectorite crystal structure and showing the related luminescence emissions. Thus, the present work shows that efficient RE3+ luminescence can be obtained from clays without the use of organic 'antenna' molecules.

Structure of Ancient Glass by 29 Si Magic Angle Spinning NMR Spectroscopy.

29 Si magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy has been applied for the first time to the structural analysis of ancient glass samples obtained from archaeological excavations. The results show that it is possible to establish the distribution of Si environments in ancient glass by 29 Si MAS NMR, so long as the concentrations of magnetic impurities, such as Mn and Fe oxides, are low. In general, good agreement has been obtained with compositions determined by means of electron probe microanalysis. In addition, the 29 Si MAS NMR data reveal structural differences between glasses manufactured at separate ancient sites.

Effect of Ge/Si substitutions on the local geometry of Si framework sites in zeolites: A combined high resolution 29Si MAS NMR and DFT/MM study on zeolite Beta polymorph C (BEC)

We employed density functional theory/molecular mechanics (DFT/MM) calculations and 29Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy to investigate the effect of single and multiple Ge/Si substitutions on the 29Si NMR parameters as well as the local geometry of SiO4 tetrahedra of the nearest (Ge-O-Si) and next-nearest (Ge-O-Si-O-Si) neighboring Si atoms. The influences of the Ge/Si substitutions are compared with the effects of the corresponding Al/Si substitutions (i.e., Al-O-Si and Al-O-Si-O-Si, respectively). Zeolite Beta polymorph C (BEC), containing double four-membered rings (D4Rs) and exhibiting three distinguishable T sites in the framework, was chosen for this study as a model of germanium containing zeolites. Our computations give a systematic downshift of the 29Si chemical shift of Si by 1–6 ppm for Ge-O-Si sequences. Furthermore, the contributions of two, three, and four Ge atoms as the nearest neighbors to the downshift of Si are not additive and the calculated downshifts lie in the intervals from 2 to 6 ppm, from 1 to 9 ppm, and from 5 to 11 ppm, respectively. Conversely, the contributions of two, three, and four Al atoms as the nearest neighbors are approximately additive. The downshifts caused by Ge nearest neighbors are less than half compared with the corresponding downshifts caused by Al. Moreover, our calculations show that there are no systematic contributions of Ge and Al as next-nearest neighbors (i.e., Ge-O-Si-O-Si and Al-O-Si-O-Si, respectively) to the 29Si chemical shift of Si, and not even the direction (sign) can be predicted without calculating the corresponding sequence.

Highly Efficient and Selective Recovery of Rare Earth Elements Using Mesoporous Silica Functionalized by Preorganized Chelating Ligands.

Separating the rare earth elements (REEs) in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner is one of the most pressing technological issues of our time. Herein, a series of preorganized bidentate phthaloyl diamide (PA) ligands was synthesized and grafted on large-pore 3-dimensional (3-D) KIT-6 mesoporous silica. The synthesized sorbents were fully characterized by N2 physisorption, FT-IR, 13C cross-polarization (CP) and 29Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), and elemental analysis. Overall, the grafting of PA-type ligands was found to have significantly improved the extraction performance of the sorbents toward REEs compared to the homogeneous analogues. Specifically, the sorbent modified with the 1,2-phtaloyl ligand shows high preference over lanthanides with smaller size, whereas the 1,3-phtaloyl ligand exhibits selectivity toward elements with larger ion radius. This selectivity drastically changes from the homogeneous models that do not exhibit any selectivity. The possibility of regenerating the mesoporous sorbents through simple stripping using oxalate salt is demonstrated over up to 10 cycles with no significant loss in REEs extraction capacity, suggesting adequate chemical and structural stability of the new sorbent materials. Despite the complex ion matrix and high ionic composition, the exposure of industrial mining deposits containing REEs to the sorbents results in selective recovery of target REEs.

Synthesis and Characterization of the Lithium-Rich Phosphidosilicates Li10Si2P6 and Li3Si3P7.

The lithium phosphidosilicates Li10Si2P6 and Li3Si3P7 are obtained by high-temperature reactions of the elements or including binary Li-P precursors. Li10Si2P6 (P21/n, Z = 2, a = 7.2051(4) Å, b = 6.5808(4) Å, c = 11.6405(7) Å, β = 90.580(4)°) features edge-sharing SiP4 double tetrahedra forming [Si2P6]10- units with a crystal structure isotypic to Na10Si2P6 and Na10Ge2P6. Li3Si3P7 (P21/m, Z = 2, a = 6.3356(4) Å, b = 7.2198(4) Å, c = 10.6176(6) Å, β = 102.941(6)°) crystallizes in a new structure type, wherein SiP4 tetrahedra are linked via common vertices and which are further connected by polyphosphide chains to form unique ∞2[Si3P7]3- double layers. The two-dimensional Si-P slabs that are separated by Li atoms can be regarded as three covalently linked atoms layers: a defect α-arsenic type layer of P atoms sandwiched between two defect wurzite-type Si3P4 layers. The single crystal and powder X-ray structure solutions are supported by solid-state 7Li, 29Si, and 31P magic-angle spinning NMR measurements.

High-Resolution Structural Characterization of a Heterogeneous Biocatalyst Using Solid-State NMR

Solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy was employed to investigate structural detail in the enzyme human carbonic anhydrase II (hCA II) in uniformly 15N and selectively (15N leucine) enriched states, covalently immobilized on epoxy-functionalized silica. The immobilized hCA II retained 71% of its specific enzymatic activity when compared to the free enzyme in solution. On the basis of the one- and two-dimensional 1H, 13C, 15N, and 29Si MAS NMR spectra, chemical shift assignments could be obtained from the silica support, covalent linker, and immobilized enzyme. The successful covalent immobilization of the enzyme on epoxy–silica was confirmed by the appearance of signals from the aromatic and carbonyl groups in the immobilized enzyme in addition to signals from the modified support. Most notably, our MAS NMR results suggest that the covalent immobilization of the hCA II on epoxy–silica does not significantly affect the structural integrity of the protein.

Ternary silicides ScIr4Si2 and RERh4Si2 (RE = Sc, Y, Tb-Lu) and quaternary derivatives RERh4Si2–xSnx (RE = Y, Nd, Sm, Gd-Lu) – structure, chemical bonding, and solid state NMR spectroscopy

Abstract The silicides ScIr4Si2 and RERh4Si2 (RE=Sc, Y, Tb-Lu) and silicide stannides RERh4Si2–x Sn x (RE=Y, Nd, Sm, Gd-Lu) were synthesized from the elements by arc-melting and subsequent annealing. The new compounds crystallize with the orthorhombic YRh4Ge2 type structure, space group Pnma. They were characterized by X-ray powder patterns and several structures were refined from single crystal X-ray diffractometer data. The main structural motifs of this series of silicides are tricapped trigonal prisms formed by the transition metal and rare earth atoms. One of the two crystallographically independent silicon sites allows for formation of solid solutions with tin, exemplarily studied for ErRh4Si2–x Sn x . Electronic structure calculations reveal strong covalent Rh–Si bonding as the main stability factor. Multinuclear (29Si, 45Sc, and 89Y) magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectra of the structure representatives with diamagnetic rare-earth elements (Sc, Y, Lu) are found to be consistent with the crystallographic data and specifically confirm the selective substitution of Sn in the Si2 sites in the quaternary compounds YRh4SiSn and LuRh4SiSn.

Glass formation and characterization in the 3Al2O3·2SiO2-LaPO4 system

Rare earth oxide–aluminate–phosphate–silicate (REAPS) glasses are useful precursors for ceramic-matrix-composites (CMCs) with important thermal and mechanical properties. It is important to determine the glass structure, relaxation and crystallization properties for designing and controlling CMC formation. Transparent 3Al2O3·2SiO2-LaPO4 glasses containing 25–80mol% mullite (3Al2O3·2SiO2) component were prepared by quenching from high temperature melts using a containerless technique. Glass transformation and crystallization behavior were examined by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The glass transition onset increased from 845 to 906°C with mullite content. The temperature interval between Tg and crystallization was maximized at 200°C for 50mol% mullite glass. Below 40mol% mullite, successive appearance of LaPO4 (monazite) and mullite gave rise to two crystallization peaks, while at higher mullite content, only one combined exotherm was observed. A glass structure model constructed from 27Al, 31P and 29Si magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR and Raman spectroscopy results indicated that Si4+ and P5+ remained tetrahedrally bonded while Al3+ ions were predominantly in four-fold coordination with some five-coordinated sites. The presence of La2O3 component resulted in an increased proportion of AlO4 tetrahedra. The PO4 polymerization state varied from Q3 to Q2 with increasing LaPO4 content. The SiO4, AlO4, and PO4 units form a continuous network with PO4 tetrahedra attached to aluminosilicate framework through two or three P–O–Al linkages. SiO4 tetrahedra crosslink with AlO4 tetrahedra to form Q4(4Al) and Q4(3Al) units. The glass structure model helps explain the crystallization sequence as a function of mullite content and the formation of different CMC textures.

Structure of nanocrystalline calcium silicate hydrates: insights from X-ray diffraction, synchrotron X-ray absorption and nuclear magnetic resonance.

The structure of nanocrystalline calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) having Ca/Si ratios ranging between 0.57 ± 0.05 and 1.47 ± 0.04 was studied using an electron probe micro-analyser, powder X-ray diffraction, 29Si magic angle spinning NMR, and Fourier-transform infrared and synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopies. All samples can be described as nanocrystalline and defective tobermorite. At low Ca/Si ratio, the Si chains are defect free and the Si Q3 and Q2 environments account, respectively, for up to 40.2 ± 1.5% and 55.6 ± 3.0% of the total Si, with part of the Q3 Si being attributable to remnants of the synthesis reactant. As the Ca/Si ratio increases up to 0.87 ± 0.02, the Si Q3 environment decreases down to 0 and is preferentially replaced by the Q2 environment, which reaches 87.9 ± 2.0%. At higher ratios, Q2 decreases down to 32.0 ± 7.6% for Ca/Si = 1.38 ± 0.03 and is replaced by the Q1 environment, which peaks at 68.1 ± 3.8%. The combination of X-ray diffraction and NMR allowed capturing the depolymerization of Si chains as well as a two-step variation in the layer-to-layer distance. This latter first increases from ∼11.3 Å (for samples having a Ca/Si ratio <∼0.6) up to 12.25 Å at Ca/Si = 0.87 ± 0.02, probably as a result of a weaker layer-to-layer connectivity, and then decreases down to 11 Å when the Ca/Si ratio reaches 1.38 ± 0.03. The decrease in layer-to-layer distance results from the incorporation of interlayer Ca that may form a Ca(OH)2-like structure, nanocrystalline and intermixed with C-S-H layers, at high Ca/Si ratios.

Polysiloxane microspheres functionalized with imidazole groups as a palladium catalyst support

Polysiloxane microspheres containing a large number of silanol groups were obtained by an emulsion process of modified polyhydromethylsiloxane. N‐substituted imidazole groups were grafted on these microspheres by the silylation of their silanol groups with N‐[γ‐(dimethylchlorosilyl)propyl]imidazole hydrochloride. The progress of the reaction was monitored using 29Si and 13C magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR and its impact on microsphere morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The usefulness of the imidazole‐functionalized microspheres as a support for a metal catalyst was demonstrated by their reaction with PdCl2(PhCN)2. In this way a new heterogenized catalyst, Pd(II) complex with imidazole ligands supported on polysiloxane microspheres, was generated. This catalyst, MPd, was characterized using 13C and 29Si MAS NMR, X‐ray photoelectron, Fourier transform infrared and far‐infrared spectroscopies, X‐ray diffraction, SEM–energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering. The catalyst appears in two structures, as Pd(II) complex and Pd(0) nanoclusters. Its catalytic activity was tested using a model reaction, the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde, and compared with that of an analogous complex operating in a homogeneous system. MPd showed a high activity in the promotion of hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde. The activity in the substrate conversion was stable at least in five cycles of this reaction. The main product was hydrocinnamaldehyde which could be obtained with a yield above 70%. A mechanism of the reaction is proposed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.