Rotational Echo Adiabatic Passage Double Resonance Research Articles

Structure of amorphous materials in the NASICON system NaTi2Si x PO12

The structure of glasses in the sodium (Na) super-ionic conductor (NASICON) system NaTi2Si x PO12 with x = 0.8 and x = 1.0 was explored by combining neutron and high-energy x-ray diffraction with 29Si, 31P and 23Na solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The 29Si magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectra reveal that the silica component remains fully polymerized in the form of Si4 units, i.e. the silicon atoms are bound to four bridging oxygen atoms. The 31P{23Na} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) NMR data suggest that the 31P MAS NMR line shape originates from four-coordinated P n units, where n = 1, 2 or 3 is the number of bridging oxygen atoms per phosphorus atom. These sites differ in their 31P-23Na dipolar coupling strengths. The results support an intermediate range order scenario of a phosphosilicate mixed network-former glass in which the phosphate groups selectively attract the Na+ modifier ions. Titanium takes a sub-octahedral coordination environment with a mean Ti–O coordination number of 5.17(4) for x = 0.8 and 4.86(4) for x = 1.0. A mismatch between the P–O and Si–O bond lengths of 8% is likely to inhibit the incorporation of silicon into the phosphorus sites of the NASICON crystal structure.

Spatial Proximities between Brønsted Acid Sites, AlOH Groups, and Residual NH4+ Cations in Zeolites Mordenite and Ferrierite

The interaction between Brønsted acid sites (BAS), AlOH groups, and residual NH4+ cations in zeolites mordenite and ferrierite was investigated by solid-state 1H magic-angle spinning and 1H–27Al rotational-echo adiabatic-passage double-resonance (REAPDOR) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques in combination with density functional theory (DFT) cluster calculations. Higher temperatures are needed for the full elimination of NH4+ (853 K instead of 723 K compared to other high-silica zeolites). NMR data reveal that residual NH4+ cations are primarily in the vicinity of BAS and other NH4+ in the case of mordenite and AlOH groups in ferrierite materials. DFT calculations for a variety of cluster models with BAS and NH4+ ions embedded in their zeolite environment rationalize the experimental data. It is suggested that NH4+ ions are preferably stabilized within 8-ring pores, explaining the higher temperature required to decompose them.

Solid‐state NMR investigation of fast sodium ion‐conducting glass–ceramics: The system Na3+3x−yRE1−xPySi3−yO9 (RE = Sc, Y)

AbstractGlasses and glass–ceramics of composition Na3+3x−yRE1−xPySi3−yO9 were synthesized using RE = Sc and Y, x = 0.4, and y = 0.0 and 0.3 to obtain multiple‐phase glass–ceramics containing the highly conducting Na5RESi4O12 (N5) phase. In addition, the two model compounds Na5ScSi4O12 and Na5InSi4O12 were synthesized. Samples were characterized at two distinct annealing stages using X‐ray powder diffraction, electrical conductivity measurements, and multinuclear solid‐state magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The N5 phase is dominantly formed for Sc‐containing glass–ceramics (both with y = 0.0 and 0.3) at crystallization temperatures above 900°C. For the other glass–ceramics, the crystallized phases were dominantly Na3RESi2O7 (N3), RE = Sc and Y, and Na9YSi6O18 (N9) phases. 29Si MAS‐NMR peak assignments were done with the aid of 29Si{45Sc} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) experiments. 29Si and 23Na MAS‐NMR spectra reveal complex phase compositions and local environment distributions, which could be largely assigned based on known semiempirical chemical shift correlations with average Si–O and Na–O bond distances. 31P MAS and 31P{45Sc} REAPDOR NMR results suggest the presence of orthophosphate groups, arguing against the literature model of isostructural substitution of silicon by phosphorus in the N5 phase.

Structural Role of Phosphate in Metaluminous Sodium Aluminosilicate Glasses As Studied by Solid State NMR Spectroscopy

In this contribution we present a detailed study of the effect of the addition of small to intermediate amounts of P2O5 (up to 7.5 mol %) on the network organization of metaluminous sodium aluminosilicate glasses employing a range of advanced solid state NMR methodologies. The combined results from MAS, MQMAS (multiple quantum MAS), or MAT (magic angle turning) NMR spectroscopy and a variety of dipolar based NMR experiments-27Al{31P}-, 27Al{29Si}-, 29Si{31P}-, and 31P{29Si}-REDOR (rotational echo double resonance) NMR spectroscopy as well as 31P{27Al}- and 29Si{27Al}-REAPDOR (rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance) NMR-allow for a detailed analysis of the network organization adopted by these glasses. Phosphate is found as QP2, QP3, and QP4 (with the superscript denoting the number of bridging oxygens), the QP4 units can be safely identified with the help of 31P MAT NMR experiments. Al exclusively adopts a 4-fold coordination. The withdrawal of a fraction of the sodium cations from AlO4 units that is needed for charge compensation of the QP2 units necessitates an alternative charge compensation scheme for these AlO4 units via formation of QP4 units or oxygen triclusters. The dipolar NMR experiments suggest a strong preference of P for Al with an average value of ca. 2.4 P-O-Al connections per phosphate tetrahedron. P is thus mainly integrated into the network via P-O-Al bonding, the formation of Si-O-P bonding plays only a minor role.

Dihydrogen Splitting by Intramolecular Borane-Phosphane Frustrated Lewis Pairs: A Comprehensive Characterization Strategy Using Solid State NMR and DFT Calculations.

Four hydrogenated intramolecular phosphane-borane frustrated Lewis pair (B/P FLP) compounds bearing unsaturated cyclic or aromatic carbon backbones have been synthesized and structurally characterized using 11 B, 31 P, 1 H and 2 H solid-state NMR spectroscopy. A comparison of the spectra with those of the corresponding free B/P FLPs shows that both 11 B isotropic chemical shifts as well as nuclear electric quadrupolar coupling constants decrease significantly upon FLP hydrogenation, revealing the breakage of the partial B-P bond present in the starting materials. Likewise, the 31 P isotropic chemical shift, the chemical shift anisotropy, and the asymmetry parameter decrease significantly upon FLP hydrogenation, reflecting the formation of a more symmetric, C3v -like local environment. 11 B{31 P} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) experiments can be used to measure the B-P internuclear distance (about 3.2 Å) of these compounds. Observation of the hydrogen atoms bound to the Lewis centers is best accomplished via 31 P{1 H} and 11 B{1 H} cross-polarization-heteronuclear correlation experiments or by direct observation of the 2 H MAS NMR signals on especially prepared FLP-D2 adducts. For accurately measuring the phosphorus-deuterium distance via 31 P{2 H} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR), it is essential to take the secondary dipolar coupling of 31 P with the boron-bonded 2 H nuclei explicitly into consideration, by simulating a 2 HP -31 P-2 HB three-spin system based on structural input. All of the experimental NMR interaction parameters are found in excellent agreement with values calculated by DFT methods, using the geometries obtained either by energy optimization or from single-crystal structures.

Characterizing the First and Second 27Al Neighbors of Brønsted and Lewis Acid Protons in Zeolites and the Distribution of 27Al Quadrupolar Couplings by 1H{27Al} Offset REAPDOR

The application of 1H{27Al} offset rotational-echo adiabatic-passage double-resonance (REAPDOR) NMR experiments enables the indirect observation of the first-order quadrupolar lineshapes for 27Al nuclei in acidic zeolites H-beta and H,Na-A by observing the neighboring 1H nuclei under the influence of dipolar coupling between them. The technique allows one to resolve the contribution of different Al environments, provided that these are characterized by different quadrupolar broadenings, reflecting different structural distortions. Therefore, Bronsted acid sites that typically show large quadrupolar coupling constants (CQ) can be distinguished from extra-framework Lewis sites, which often have considerably smaller quadrupolar couplings. The 1H{27Al} offset REAPDOR patterns can be simulated employing a Gaussian probability distribution using a library of reference offset REAPDOR curves (depending on quadrupolar coupling constant and asymmetry parameter). Monomodal and bimodal probability distributions of CQ...

Identification of the hydrate gel phases present in phosphate-modified calcium aluminate binders

The conversion of hexagonal calcium aluminate hydrates to cubic phases in hydrated calcium aluminate cements (CAC) can involve undesirable porosity changes and loss of strength. Modification of CAC by phosphate addition avoids conversion, by altering the nature of the reaction products, yielding a stable amorphous gel instead of the usual crystalline hydrate products. Here, details of the environments of aluminium and phosphorus in this gel were elucidated using solid-state NMR and complementary techniques. Aluminium is identified in both octahedral and tetrahedral coordination states, and phosphorus is present in hydrous environments with varying, but mostly low, degrees of crosslinking. A 31P/27Al rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) experiment showed the existence of aluminium–phosphorus interactions, confirming the formation of a hydrated calcium aluminophosphate gel as a key component of the binding phase. This resolves previous disagreements in the literature regarding the nature of the disordered products forming in this system.

Intermediate Role of Gallium in Oxidic Glasses: Solid State NMR Structural Studies of the Ga2O3–NaPO3 System

A series of (NaPO3)1–x(Ga2O3)x glasses (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.35) prepared by conventional melt-quenching methods has been structurally characterized by various complementary high resolution one-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D) solid state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) techniques, which were validated by corresponding experiments on the crystalline model compounds GaPO4 (quartz) and Ga(PO3)3. Alloying NaPO3 glass by Ga2O3 results in a marked increase in the glass transition temperature, similar to the effect observed with Al2O3. At the atomic level, multiple phosphate species QnmGa (n = 0, 1, and 2; m = 0, 1, 2, and 3) can be observed. Here n denotes the number of P–O–P and m the number of P–O–Ga linkages, and (m + n ≤ 4). For resolved resonances, the value of n can be quantified by 2D J-resolved spectroscopy, refocused INADEQUATE, and a recently developed homonuclear dipolar recoupling method termed DQ-DRENAR (double-quantum based dipolar recoupling effects nuclear alignment reduction). Ga3+ is dominantly found in six-coordination in low-Ga glasses, whereas in glasses with x > 0.15, lower-coordinated Ga environments are increasingly favored. The connectivity between P and Ga can be assessed by heteronuclear 71Ga/31P dipolar recoupling experiments using 71Ga{31P} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) and 31P {71Ga} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (READPOR) techniques. Up to x = 0.25, the limiting composition where this is possible, the second coordination sphere of all the gallium atoms is fully dominated by phosphorus atoms. Above x = 0.25, 71Ga static and MAS NMR as well as REDOR experiments give clear spectroscopic evidence of Ga–O–Ga connectivity. 31P/23Na REDOR and REAPDOR results indicate that gallium has no dispersion effect on sodium ions in these glasses. They also indicate significant differences in the strength of dipolar interactions for distinct QnmGa species, consistent with bond valence considerations. On the basis of these results, a comprehensive structural model is developed. This model explains the compositional trend of the glass transition temperatures in terms of the concentration of bridging oxygen species (P–O–P, P–O–Ga, and Ga–O–Ga) in these glasses. The results provide new insights into the role of Ga2O3 as an intermediate oxide, with features of both network modifier and network former in oxide glasses.

Glass-to-Crystal Transition in Li1+xAlxGe2–x(PO4)3: Structural Aspects Studied by Solid State NMR

The structural aspects of the glass-to-crystal transition in the technologically important ion conducting glass ceramic system Li1+xAlxGe2–x(PO4)3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.75) have been examined by complementary multinuclear solid state nuclear magnetic single and double-resonance experiments. In the crystalline state, the materials form solid solutions in the NASICON structure, with additional nanocrystalline AlPO4 present at x values ≥0.5. Substitution of Al in the octahedral Ge sites results in a binomial distribution of multiple phosphate species, which differ in the number P–O–Al and P–O–Ge linkages and can be differentiated by 31P chemical shift and 31P{27Al} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) spectroscopies. The detailed quantitative analysis of these data, of complementary 27Al{31P} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) and of homonuclear 31P–31P double quantum NMR studies suggest that the AlO6 coordination polyhedra are noticeably expanded compared to the GeO6 sites in the NASICON-...

Solid-state NMR strategies for the structural characterization of paramagnetic NO adducts of Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs)

By N,N addition of NO to the norbonane annulated borane-phosphane Frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) 1 a five-membered heterocyclic persistent aminoxyl radical 2 and its diamagnetic hydroxylamine reduction product 3 are prepared, and the comprehensive multinuclear solid state NMR characterization (1H, 11B, 19F, 31P) of these FLP adducts is reported. Signal quantification experiments using a standard addition method reveal that the 11B and 31P NMR signals observed in 2 actually arise from molecular impurities of 3 embedded in the paramagnetic crystal. In contrast analogous quantification experiments reveal that the 1H and 19F MAS-NMR spectra originate from spin-carrying molecules. Peak assignments are based on DFT-calculated Mulliken spin densities, which lead to the surprising result that the largest paramagnetic shift affecting a proton NMR resonance in 2 originates from intermolecular interactions. For the 19F nuclei, experiments and calculations indicate that paramagnetic shift effects are very small. In this case, assignments are based on DFT chemical shift calculations carried out on diamagnetic 3 and 19F(11B) Rotational Echo Adiabatic Passage DOuble Resonance (REAPDOR) experiments. The set of experiments described here defines an efficient strategy for the structural analysis of paramagnetic FLP adducts.

Phase-modulated LA-REDOR: A robust, accurate and efficient solid-state NMR technique for distance measurements between a spin-1/2 and a quadrupole spin

Distances between a spin-1/2 and a spin>1/2 can be efficiently measured by a variety of magic-angle spinning solid state NMR methods such as Rotational Echo Adiabatic Passage Double Resonance (REAPDOR), Low-Alpha/Low-Amplitude REDOR (LA-REDOR) and Rotational-Echo Saturation-Pulse Double-Resonance (R/S-RESPDOR). In this manuscript we show that the incorporation of a phase modulation into a long quadrupolar recoupling pulse, lasting 10 rotor periods that are sandwiched between rotor-synchronized pairs of dipolar recoupling π pulses, extends significantly the range of the values of the quadrupole moments that can be accessed by the experiment. We show by a combination of simulations and experiments that the new method, phase-modulated LA-REDOR, is very weakly dependent on the actual value of the radio-frequency field, and is highly robust with respect to off-resonance irradiation. The experimental results can be fitted by numerical simulations or using a universal formula corresponding to an equal-transition-probability model. Phase-modulated LA-REDOR 13C{11B} and 15N{51V} dipolar recoupling experiments confirm the accuracy and applicability of this new method.

Medium-Range Order in Sol–Gel Prepared Al2O3–SiO2 Glasses: New Results from Solid-State NMR

The medium-range order of 0.5Al2O3–xSiO2 glasses (1 ≤ x ≤ 6) prepared via a new sol–gel route from the Al lactate precursor has been studied by 29Si and 27Al single- and double-resonance solid-state NMR techniques. For high-alumina samples Si–O–Al connectivities are detected by 29Si MAS NMR as well as by 29Si{27Al} rotational echo adiabatic passage double-resonance (REAPDOR) spectroscopy. To boost the signal-to-noise ratio, the REAPDOR experiment was combined with a Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) echo train acquisition. While all five silicon units Q(4)mAl (0 ≤ m ≤ 4) are detectable in appreciable concentrations for x = 1, the spectra indicate that the average number of Al species bound to silicon, ⟨mAl⟩, gradually decreases toward higher x values, as expected. The 27Al MAS NMR spectra reveal four-, five-, and six-coordinated aluminum in these glasses. For x ≥ 3, the Al species detected are essentially independent of sample composition indicating a constant structural environment of Al. In contrast, for...

Solid-State NMR Spectroscopic Study of Phosphate Sorption Mechanisms on Aluminum (Hydr)oxides

Sorption reactions occurring at mineral/water interfaces are of fundamental importance in controlling the sequestration and bioavailability of nutrients and pollutants in aqueous environments. To advance the understanding of sorption reactions, development of new methodology is required. In this study, we applied novel (31)P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to investigate the mechanism of phosphate sorption on aluminum hydroxides under different environmental conditions, including pH (4-10), concentration (0.1-10 mM), ionic strength (0.001-0.5 M), and reaction time (15 min-22 days). Under these conditions, the NMR results suggest formation of bidentate binuclear inner-sphere surface complexes was the dominant mechanism. However, it was found that surface wetting caused a small difference. A small amount (<3%) of monodentate mononuclear inner-sphere surface complexes was observed in addition to the majority of bidentate binuclear surface complexes on a wet paste sample prepared at pH 5, which was analyzed in situ by a double-resonance NMR technique, namely, (31)P{(27)Al} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR). Additionally, we found that adsorbents can substantially impact phosphate sorption not only on the macroscopic sorption capacity but also on their (31)P NMR spectra. Very similar NMR peaks were observed for phosphate sorbed to gibbsite and bayerite, whereas the spectra for phosphate adsorbed to boehmite, corundum, and γ-alumina were significantly different. All of these measurements reveal that NMR spectroscopy is a useful analytical tool for studying phosphorus chemistry at environmental interfaces.

Molecular level investigations of phosphate sorption on corundum (α-Al2O3) by 31P solid state NMR, ATR-FTIR and quantum chemical calculation

Phosphate sorption at the corundum (α-Al2O3)/water interface was investigated as a function of phosphate concentration (0.1–1mM) and pH (3–11) by 31P solid state NMR spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR, and quantum chemical calculation. The 31P NMR spectra indicate that under these experimental conditions phosphate adsorbs onto corundum mainly as inner-sphere complexes that yield a peak at δP=−2.8ppm with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 9.2ppm, with a small amount aluminum phosphate surface precipitates as suggested by an NMR signal observed from δP=−12 to −20ppm. We employed 31P{27Al} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) to further analyze the phosphate adsorption samples prepared at pH 5 and 9 in order to determine the phosphate/Al coordination. To aid interpretation of the NMR data, a series of bidentate and monodentate structural models of phosphate adsorbed on corundum (001) and (012) surfaces were calculated using density function theory (DFT). By comparing the experimental REAPDOR curves and those simulated from these models, we can assign the dominant peaks to bidentate binuclear surface complexes. Formation of bidentate binuclear surface complexes is supported by the ATR/FTIR spectra combined with DFT calculation, which further suggests a mixture of non-protonated bidentate and mono-protonated bidentate surface complexes on the corundum surface at pH 5. At pH 9, both NMR and ATR/FTIR indicate the formation of bidentate surface complexes on corundum surface.

Distance measurements between boron and carbon at natural abundance using magic angle spinning REAPDOR NMR and a universal curve

The rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) magic angle spinning NMR experiment efficiently recouples the dipolar interaction between a spin-1/2 and a spin >1/2, enabling accurate and efficient measurement of their inter-nuclear distance. We demonstrate that under adiabatic conditions a universal curve that depends only on the inter-nuclear distance fits the REAPDOR recoupling curve for a (13)C (spin-1/2)-(11)B (spin-3/2) spin pair. In 4-(hydroxymethyl)phenylboronic acid MIDA ester the inter-nuclear distance between the methyl carbon and boron was determined to be 2.76 ± 0.14 Å, in agreement with the distance of 2.68 Å determined by X-ray crystallography. Similar experiments performed at two different spinning speeds and fit simultaneously to the same curve give a distance of 2.73 Å and distances to other carbons in the molecule are also determined. The low abundance of carbon-13 at natural abundance (1.1%) and the reduced abundance of boron-11 (80.1%) render the experiment insensitive to (13)C-(13)C homonuclear couplings and significantly reduce the effect of a second boron nucleus at a longer distance. This approach can be extended to any spin-3/2 coupled to a spin-1/2.

Oxygen-17 Appears Only in Protein in Water-Stressed Soybean Leaves Labeled by 17O2

We have used a rotational-echo adiabatic-passage double-resonance (13)C{(17)O} solid-state NMR experiment to prove that the glycine produced in the oxygenase reaction of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase is incorporated exclusively into protein (or protein precursors) of intact, water-stressed soybean leaves exposed to (13)CO(2) and (17)O(2). The water stress increased stomatal resistance and decreased gas exchange so that the Calvin cycle in the leaf chloroplasts was no more than 35% (13)C isotopically enriched. Labeled O(2) levels were sufficient, however, to increase the (17)O isotopic concentration of oxygenase products 20-fold over the natural-abundance level of 0.04%. The observed direct incorporation of glycine into protein shows that water stress suppresses photorespiration in soybean leaves.

Surface Speciation of Phosphate on Boehmite (γ-AlOOH) Determined from NMR Spectroscopy

Interaction of phosphate with the surfaces of clays and metal oxyhydroxides is important for nutrient cycling in natural and agricultural systems. We examined the specific adsorption of phosphate to boehmite (gamma-AlOOH) by solid-state (31)P NMR spectroscopy, which yields evidence for the presence of two bridging bidentate surface complexes differing in protonation. For samples prepared along the sorption isotherm at pH 5, distinct phosphate environments are observed as two major peaks in (31)P NMR spectra (chemical shifts of 0 and -6 ppm) that show little change in relative intensity with adsorbate loading. Both peaks correspond to rigid phosphate in close proximity to H, as indicated by (31)P{(1)H} cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning (CP/MAS) data, and yield nearly identical (31)P{(27)Al} dephasing curves in rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) experiments. The REAPDOR results indicate that both phosphate environments have similar coordination to Al and are best fit by dephasing curves simulated for bridging bidentate configurations. The two resolved phosphate species exhibit distinct (31)P chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) and intensity variations with pH, the peak near 0 ppm being dominant at pH > 7. (31)P CSA's from quantum chemical calculations of hydrated bidentate cluster models with varying protonation state show that the CSA for monoprotonated phosphate is unique and closely matches that for the peak at -6 ppm. The CSA for the peak at 0 ppm is consistent with both di- and nonprotonated phosphate, but assignment to the latter is suggested based on the dominance of this peak in samples prepared at high pH and with trends in (31)P NMR chemical shifts.

Characterization of the gel phases formed in the synthesis of microporous gallophosphate, cloverite

This work examines the formation of a microporous gallophosphate with an extra large pore system, namely cloverite (structure type: CLO) in fluoride medium. The amorphous gallophosphate gel containing the key precursor to cloverite was characterized and its evolution followed by 31P, 71Ga, 19F and 1H MAS NMR and several dipolar-coupling based double-resonance methods including 31P{71Ga} and 19F{71Ga} rotational-echo adiabatic passage double-resonance (REAPDOR), 31P{19F} and 19F{31P} rotational-echo double-resonance (REDOR), and 1H{31P} REDOR and 1H{71Ga} transfer of populations in double-resonance (TRAPDOR). The results indicate that upon mixing the Ga and P sources in the presence of structure directing agent (SDA) and HF, an amorphous oxyfluorinated gallophosphate precursor containing single 4-rings (4Rs) with alternating Ga–O–P linkage forms immediately. The Ga in the 4R is 6-coordinated and the two Ga in the 4R are bridged by a fluorine. Heating quickly converts the 4Rs to double four-membered rings (D4Rs), from which the entire CLO structure is built. The amount of the D4R rapidly increases with increasing heating time. The presence of fluoride ions greatly facilitates the formation of the 4Rs via bridging two Ga sites and the hydrothermal treatment promotes D4Rs via condensation. Interaction between SDA molecule and the phosphorus site in the gel is also probed. Further, the local structure of Ga sites in cloverite is characterized by 71Ga MAS NMR at ultrahigh magnetic field of 21.1 T by obtaining their electric field gradient tensor parameters.

Structure−Property Relations in Mixed-Network Glasses: Multinuclear Solid State NMR Investigations of the System xAl2O3:(30 − x)P2O5:70SiO2

New mixed-network glasses along the composition line xAl2O3−(30 − x)P2O5−70SiO2 have been prepared and characterized in terms of their density, thermal expansion coefficient, refractive index, and characteristic temperatures. The compositional changes in these macroscopic properties have been correlated with structural information, obtained via Raman spectroscopy and state-of-the-art solid state NMR techniques, including 27Al, 29Si, and 31P magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, 27Al triple quantum MAS NMR, as well as static 31P spin echo decay spectroscopy. In addition, the extent of P−O−Al connectivity has been quantified on the basis of 27Al{31P} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) and 31P{27Al} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) measurements. Both the macroscopic and the structural properties show nonlinear dependences on x, including abrupt changes at a nominal Al/P ratio of 1 (x = 0.15), where no glasses can be formed by melt quenching under the conditions used in this study. The structure of phosphorus-rich glasses (Al/P < 1) is characterized by four-, five- and six-coordinated Al species, whose second coordination sphere is dominated by phosphorus. 31P static and MAS NMR spectra suggest the presence of at least three distinct phosphorus environments, corresponding to silicon-bonded P(3) units, anionic metaphosphate P(2) species interacting with octahedral aluminum, and tetrahedral PO4/2 groups (P(4) units) bonded similarly as in AlPO4. (In this P(n) nomenclature, the superscript denotes the number of bridging oxygen atoms attached to a P atom.) The latter species is also the dominant phosphorus environment in the Al-rich glasses (Al/P > 1), where the alumina component is involved in Al−O−P, Al−O−Si, and possibly also Al−O−Al linkages. All of these results indicate that the structure of these glasses is dominated by the strong mutual affinity of the phosphorus oxide and alumina components. To quantify this affinity, the experimental REDOR and REAPDOR results have been compared with a cluster model assuming that both components react completely under formation of aluminum phosphate-like domains, thereby maximizing the number of Al−O−P linkages. Both the REDOR and the REAPDOR results show, however, clear deviations from such a structural scenario, supporting a more homogeneous glass structure with a certain degree of connectivity randomization.

17O and 15N Solid State NMR Studies on Ligand-Assisted Templating and Oxygen Coordination in the Walls of Mesoporous Nb, Ta and Ti Oxides

A multinuclear solid state NMR approach is applied to four templated mesoporous oxides (silica, titania, niobia and tantala) to include (15)N and (17)O magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR and double resonance (15)N-(93)Nb, (17)O Rotational-Echo Adiabatic Passage Double Resonance (REAPDOR). The templated samples were ramped in steps of 20 degrees C for 2 days up to typically 110 degrees C where the samples were left for 2-4 days. (15)N MAS NMR shows that amines are the only species present in the TiO2, Nb2O5, and Ta2O5. In SiO2, amines are only present as a minor coordination (10 +/- 2%), but there are several strong ammonium (15)N resonances. The REAPDOR experiments show that the nitrogen interacts with niobium, confirming a ligand interaction between the Nb and N, as previously believed. In the case of silica, the amine is quaternized and there is apparently no interaction with the Si, suggesting a RNH3(+) (-)O-Si- hydrogen-bonding interaction with the walls. (17)O MAS NMR provides the clearest indication of the local wall structure. In the aged, templated samples in all cases only OM2 coordinations are present which is very different from the pure bulk oxides (apart from SiO2) and must be due to the effects of amine coordination at the metal centers. On removal of the template, these oxides behave differently, with Ta2O5 showing a mixture of OTa2 (85 +/- 5%) and OTa3 (15 +/- 5%) which is similar to the types of coordination found in the bulk oxide. The previously reported (17)O MAS NMR data from heat-treated mesoporous niobia shows only ONb2, which is very highly ordered. In contrast for titania, the OTi2 coordination is immediately lost on removal of the template to be replaced by a mixture of OTi3 (60 +/- 5%) and OTi4 (40 +/- 5%), with the OTi4 becoming dominant above 250 degrees C, very different behavior from the corresponding bulk oxide. In summary, this NMR study shows that the local oxygen coordination in amine-templated mesoporous transition metal oxides is present as OM2 which is relatively rare in bulk oxides. The data indicates that the template interaction is largely controlled by the N-M dative bond to the wall, suppressing higher oxygen coordination numbers. Qualitatively it appears that the strength of this interaction varies greatly in the different mesoporous oxides.