Shape selectivity mechanism

The physical properties of argon, krypton, and xenon are frequendy selected as standard substances to which the properties of other substances are compared. Examples are the dipole moments, nonspherical shapes, quantum mechanical effects, etc. The principle of corresponding states asserts that the reduced properties of all substances are similar. The reduced properties are dimensionless ratios such as the ratio of a material s temperature to its critical... 

Future development of SAM-based analytical technology requires expansion of the size and shape selectivity of template stmctures, as well as introduction of advanced chemical and optical gating mechanisms. An important contribution of SAMs is in miniaturization of analytical instmmentation. This use may in turn have considerable importance in the biomedical analytical area, where miniature analytical probes will be introduced into the body and target-specific organs or even cell clusters. Advances in high resolution spatial patterning of SAMs open the way for such technologies (268,352). 

Mn impregnated into MCM-4i, a silicalite containing uniform mesopores of approximately 22 A, catalyzes TBHP epoxidation of alkenes.88 Over Mn-MCM-41, both cis- and trans-stilbene yield trans-stilbene oxide, which the authors conclude signals a radical mechanism.88 In contrast, over Ti—MCM-41, trans-stilbene cannot be oxidized, only cis-stilbene is epoxidized to the cis-stilbene oxide, which suggest a radical-free mechanism.89 Finally, emphasizing the shape selectivity possibilities, only trans-stilbene (not cis-stilbene) can be epoxidized over Mn-ZSM-5, a zeolite with relatively small pores of 5.1 x 5.4 A (Fig. 6.14).88... 

Zeolites ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 are the most commercially important end-members of a continuous series of intermediate structures belonging to the so-called pentasil family (4,5). The first preparation of ZSM-5 was described in 1972 (6) and since thbn, a number of elaborate synthesis recipes have been reported in the patent literature. Because of the unique and fascinating activity and (shape) selectivity of this material for a variety of catalytic reactions currently processed in chemical industries, increasing attention has been devoted to a better understanding of the various mechanisms that govern the synthesis of ZSM-5 (7-33). 

The correlation between selectivity and intracrystalline free space can be readily accounted for in terms of the mechanisms of the reactions involved. The acid-catalyzed xylene isomerization occurs via 1,2-methyl shifts in protonated xylenes (Figure 3). A mechanism via two transalkylation steps as proposed for synthetic faujasite (8) can be ruled out in view of the strictly consecutive nature of the isomerization sequence o m p and the low activity for disproportionation. Disproportionation involves a large diphenylmethane-type intermediate (Figure 4). It is suggested that this intermediate can form readily in the large intracrystalline cavity (diameter. 1.3 nm) of faujasite, but is sterically inhibited in the smaller pores of mordenite and ZSM-4 (d -0.8 nm) and especially of ZSM-5 (d -0.6 nm). Thus, transition state selectivity rather than shape selective diffusion are responsible for the high xylene isomerization selectivity of ZSM-5. 

Bradley, J.S. et al., Surface spectroscopic study of the stabilization mechanism for shape-selectively synthesized nanostructured transition metal colloids, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 122, 4631, 2000. 

The exact mechanism controlling shape-selective retentive processes is not fully understood, although it is clear that the pure partitioning and adsorption models cannot account for differences in retention for isomer separations or the range of selectivityobserved for columns of various surface coverages and alkyl chain lengths. 

Shape-selective adsorption, also known as molecular sieving, is a process that separates molecules based on inclusion or exclusion from specific zeolite pores. In contrast, the equilibrium- and rate-selective mechanisms are based on adsorb-... 

Figure 6.2 illustrates the separation of n-Csis and non-n-Cs/is in CaA molecular sieves or 5A. The separation mechanism is obvious when the kinetic diameter of the molecules and molecular sieve pore size opening are compared. n-Csjc have kinetic diameters of less than 4.4 A which can diffuse freely into the 4.7 A pores of the CaA molecular sieve, while non-n-Cs/ have kinetic diameters of 6.2A. A commercial example of shape-selective adsorption is the UOP Molex process, which uses CaA molecular sieves to separate Cio-C n-paraffins from non- -parafHns (aromatics, branched, naphthenes). 

The consecutive formation of o-hydroxybenzophenone (Figure 3) occurred by Fries transposition over phenylbenzoate. In the Fries reaction catalyzed by Lewis-type systems, aimed at the synthesis of hydroxyarylketones starting from aryl esters, the mechanism can be either (i) intermolecular, in which the benzoyl cation acylates phenylbenzoate with formation of benzoylphenylbenzoate, while the Ph-O-AfCL complex generates phenol (in this case, hydroxybenzophenone is a consecutive product of phenylbenzoate transformation), or (ii) intramolecular, in which phenylbenzoate directly transforms into hydroxybenzophenone, or (iii) again intermolecular, in which however the benzoyl cation acylates the Ph-O-AfCL complex, with formation of another complex which then decomposes to yield hydroxybenzophenone (mechanism of monomolecular deacylation-acylation). Mechanisms (i) and (iii) lead preferentially to the formation of p-hydroxybenzophenone (especially at low temperature), while mechanism (ii) to the ortho isomer. In the case of the Bronsted-type catalysis with zeolites, shape-selectivity effects may favor the formation of the para isomer with respect to the ortho one (11,12). 

Restricted transition state selectivity Figure 1 Mechanisms of shape-selective catalysis. 

Zeolite catalysed alkylation of polynuclear aromatics is considered to be simultaneously governed by several mechanisms. To achieve highly shape-selective catalysis, it is essential that the pore size precisely corresponds to the molecular dimensions of reactants and products, and to the transition state of the reaction intermediates. 

Numerous acylations mediated by zeolite materials were described since 1986, when the first results were reported.76 The acylation of toluene and p-xylene with C2—C20 alkanoic acids over Ce-exchanged NaY at 150°C in a batch reactor was reported. Shape selectivity was observed maximum activity was found for Ci2 and C 4 acids. Other studies showed that Br0nsted acid centers are involved in acylation77 and an electrophilic mechanism is operative.78 A comprehensive review2 of the subject is available and, therefore, only the more recent results are discussed here. 

The shape selectivity in products is evidenced mainly by the mdCB/pdCB ratio at a given conversion (Table 4). The behaviour of HPILC cannot be taken into account since the majority of products are formed by radical mechanism. On the protonic zeolites the isomerisation of dichlorobenzenes follows a consecutive reaction scheme for the main part, and the mdCB/pdCB ratio depends on the odCB conversion. However, this ratio can be modified when limitation to diffusion occurs, and the final product pdCB will be then favoured. 

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