ESRF BM26 - Competitive adsorption of toluene and water on MFI zeolites

Competitive adsorption in zeolites, particularly with omnipresent water, is a major challenge in understanding catalysis. Our NMRAbstract:
studies on MFI zeolites showed water displaces toluene from Brønsted acid sites, and while we could identify several populations of toluene, we could not distinguish between toluene's specific adsorption locations.
This project will provide a more detailed picture by combining synchrotron XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy in a single setup. This will reveal the adsorbate positions and properties under various conditions.
Critically, impedance spectroscopy will serve as a bridging technique, linking these new synchrotron experiments with existing NMR data to ensure the material states are identical and the results are comparable.
In tandem with molecular modeling collaborations, this integrated approach will deliver a comprehensive understanding of competitive toluene adsorption in MFI zeolites.