Adsorption Lewis-acid alkali metal cations

Adsorption enthalpies and vibrational frequencies of small molecules adsorbed on cation sites in zeolites are often related to acidity (either Bronsted or Lewis acidity of H+ and alkali metal cations, respectively) of particular sites. It is now well accepted that the local environment of the cation (the way it is coordinated with the framework oxygen atoms) affects both, vibrational dynamics and adsorption enthalpies of adsorbed molecules. Only recently it has been demonstrated that in addition to the interaction of one end of the molecule with the cation (effect from the bottom) also the interaction of the other end of the molecule with a second cation or with the zeolite framework (effect from the top) has a substantial effect on vibrational frequencies of the adsorbed molecule [1,2]. The effect from bottom mainly reflects the coordination of the metal cation with the framework - the tighter is the cation-framework coordination the lower is the ability of that cation to bind molecules and the smaller is the effect on the vibrational frequencies of adsorbed molecules. This effect is most prominent for Li+ cations [3-6], In this contribution we focus on the discussion of the effect from top. The interaction of acetonitrile (AN) and carbon monoxide with sodium exchanged zeolites Na-A (Si/AM) andNa-FER (Si/Al= 8.5 and 27) is investigated. 

Bonelli et al. [777] used the CO adsorption monitored by FTIR also for the characterization of the acidity of [Al]MCM-41 samples, which were exchanged with alkali-metal cations. Lewis sites in the form of cations (C-sites) were detected by a hypsochromic shift of the band at 2143 cm of gaseous CO, for instance to 2158 cm in the case of a washed Cs-[Al]MCM-41 sample. No absorbance around 2220 cm due to CO attached to Lewis sites in the form of Al-containing species was observed. 

Similarly, IR investigation of CO adsorption on molecular sieves was used to characterize Lewis acidity of cations (C-sites) and true Lewis acidity (L-sites) [ 740]. The interaction of CO with cations (acid C-sites) was dealt with already in Sect. 5.5.2.2. In particular, Angell and Schaffer [595] have carried out a detailed study of CO adsorption on a series of X- and Y-type zeoHtes containing monovalent and divalent cations of alkali, alkaline earth and transition metals. A linear relationship was found between the position of the IR stretching band of adsorbed CO and the Coulomb field, q/r, of the respective cationic adsorption center. This is similar to the observation made by Ward in the case of pyridine attached to cations (vide supra). It should be noted, however, that CO, like pyridine, is not capable of entering the sodalite cages and the hexagonal prisms of the faujasite structure, so that the cations located there are not detected by these probes. 

---