Effect of impregnation on the structure of niobium oxide/alumina catalysts studied by multinuclear solid-state NMR, FTIR, and quantum chemical calculations

Multinuclear solid-state 1H, 27Al, and 93Nb NMR experiments and DFT calculations were carried out for structura

Crystal plane dependent dispersion of cobalt metal on metastable aluminas

Metallic Co nanoparticles, widely used and studied as supported heterogeneous catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), display catalytic properties that can vary significantly depending on their size and crystal structure. In this work, we used 59Co Internal Field NMR (59Co IF NMR) complemented by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) to demonstrate the influence of strong metal-support interaction on two noticeably different metastable alumina phases - γ-Al2O3 and χ-Al2O3. According to 59Co IF NMR and HRTEM, the metallic particles supported on χ-Al2O3 were larger and displayed a significantly higher content of hcp Co phase, which are known to be more active and selective to C5+ in FTS. The 1H NMR chemical shifts of hydroxyl groups anchored to the (110) and (111) spinel crystal planes were calculated by DFT. It revealed that the hydroxyl coverage of γ-Al2O3 facilitates the dispersion of Co precursor over the surface of the support, ultimately leading to the formation of smaller metal Co nanoparticles on γ-Al2O3, than on χ-Al2O3

Possibilities of Mechanochemical Synthesis of Apatites with Different Ca/P Ratios

Apatite is widely used in medicine as a biomaterial for bone tissue restoration. Properties of apatite depend on its composition, including the Ca/P ratio. This paper shows what range of Ca/P ratio can be attained in apatite by the mechanochemical method of synthesis, providing fast formation of a single-phase product. The synthesis was carried out from a reaction mixture of CaHPO4 and CaO at different Ca/P ratios in the range of 1.17–2.10. The products were studied by PXRD, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, HRTEM, and STA. In mixtures with a low initial Ca/P ratio (1.17–1.48), directly in the mill, the formation of calcium orthophosphate with whitlockite structure containing an HPO42− group and structural water is shown for the first time. This phosphate has structure similar to that of whitlockites of hydrothermal origin and differs from high-temperature β-tricalcium phosphate that has composition Ca3(PO4)3. A series of samples of apatite was obtained with varied composition, which depends on the initial Ca/P ratio. At Ca/P < 1.67, the formation of two types of calcium-deficient apatite was documented. At Ca/P > 1.67, the existence of two types of calcium-rich apatite is confirmed

Possibilities of Mechanochemical Synthesis of Apatites with Different Ca/P Ratios

Apatite is widely used in medicine as a biomaterial for bone tissue restoration. Properties of apatite depend on its composition, including the Ca/P ratio. This paper shows what range of Ca/P ratio can be attained in apatite by the mechanochemical method of synthesis, providing fast formation of a single-phase product. The synthesis was carried out from a reaction mixture of CaHPO4 and CaO at different Ca/P ratios in the range of 1.17–2.10. The products were studied by PXRD, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, HRTEM, and STA. In mixtures with a low initial Ca/P ratio (1.17–1.48), directly in the mill, the formation of calcium orthophosphate with whitlockite structure containing an HPO42− group and structural water is shown for the first time. This phosphate has structure similar to that of whitlockites of hydrothermal origin and differs from high-temperature β-tricalcium phosphate that has composition Ca3(PO4)3. A series of samples of apatite was obtained with varied composition, which depends on the initial Ca/P ratio. At Ca/P 1.67, the existence of two types of calcium-rich apatite is confirmed

Effect of Impregnation on the Structure of Niobium Oxide/Alumina Catalysts Studied by Multinuclear Solid-State NMR, FTIR, and Quantum Chemical Calculations

Multinuclear solid-state ¹H, ²⁷Al, and ⁹³Nb NMR experiments and DFT calculations were carried out for structural characterization of alumina-supported niobium oxide catalysts with high niobium content following an every stage in the catalyst preparation. It was found that the first stage of the impregnation procedure plays a key role in determining the catalyst structure and acidity. In order to monitor the presence in catalysts of aluminum niobate phase, AlNbO₄, a series of ²⁷Al and ⁹³Nb NMR experiments was performed for several different individual AlNbO₄ samples. Aluminum and niobium NMR parameters were determined for AlNbO₄, which crystal structure contains two different crystallographic sites for each element. The compound was investigated through a combination of experimental ⁹³Nb and ²⁷Al NMR spectroscopy methods at several magnetic field strengths (9.4, 11.7, 19.4, and 21.1 T) and complemented by ab initio quantum chemical calculations of NMR parameters for these nuclei. The chemical shielding and the quadrupole coupling tensor parameters were determined for both ⁹³Nb and ²⁷Al