A Spectroscopic Paradox: The Interaction of Methanol with ZSM-5 at Room Temperature

The adsorption of methanol in HZSM-5 at low temperatures has long been regarded as an associative process involving hydrogen bonding to the acidic zeolite hydroxyl groups. Recent studies employing inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy (INS) have reported that complete dissociation to methoxylate the zeolite occurs at 298 K, and infrared evidence for a partial dissociation at 298 K has also been described. Here we investigate the apparent contradictions between different techniques, using a combination of INS, infrared spectroscopy and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, including isotopic substitution experiments. Different possible explanations are proposed and considered; we conclude that at room temperature methanol is very largely associatively adsorbed, although the presence of some small extent (>1%) of methoxylation cannot be ruled out.

Low-temperature studies of propene oligomerization in ZSM-5 by inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy

The interaction between ZSM-5 and propene over the temperature range 140–373 K is investigated by application of inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy.

Assignment of the solid state spectra of the group VI hexacarbonyls by inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy

Inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy allows all the modes below 800 cm−1 of Cr(CO)6, Mo(CO)6 and W(CO)6 (including the IR and Raman inactive ones) to be observed for the first time.

Complete assignment of the vibrational spectra of borazine: the inorganic benzene

Inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy has detected all of the internal modes of borazine, including the infrared and Raman forbidden modes.

Different routes to methanol: inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy of adsorbates on supported copper catalysts

Inelastic neutron scattering of Cu-based methanol synthesis catalysts revealed that the surface coverage after reaction depends on the support oxide.