NMR Study of the Molecular Motion of Water in Natrolite
The dynamics of water molecules in natrolite (Na2Al2Si3O10∙2H2O) were studied using proton magnetic resonance. At 4.2 K, rigid lattice values were observed for the proton second moment and line width and these quantities changed little up to 400 K. Between 300 and 460 K a narrower component of the proton line appeared, the relative intensity of which depended on the thermal history of the sample. The narrower component grew rapidly at the expense of the broader component as the temperature was increased above 460 K until only a narrow line (δH < 1 G) remained at 545 K. Spin lattice relaxation time measurements were made in the laboratory (T1) and rotating (T1ρ) frames. T1 decreased monotonically from 20 s at 77 K to 0.2 s at 435 K but did not reach a relative minimum. Relative minima in T1ρ were observed at 280 and 377 K for H1 = 4 G and the activation energies for the processes responsible for these minima were determined to be 8.6 ± 0.6 and 13 ± 2 kcal/mole respectively. Spin lattice relaxation rates based on 180° flips and other possible motions of the water molecules are discussed and compared to results obtained in other hydrates and zeolites.