skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Structure and dynamics of ethane confined in silica nanopores in the presence of CO 2

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5134451· OSTI ID:1606043

Fundamental understanding of the subcritical/supercritical behavior of key hydrocarbon species inside nano-porous matrices at elevated pressure and temperature is less developed compared to bulk fluids, but this knowledge is of great importance for chemical and energy engineering industries. This study explores in detail the structure and dynamics of ethane (C2H6) fluid confined in silica nanopores, with a focus on the effects of pressure and different ratios of C2H6 and CO2 at non-ambient temperature. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) experiments were carried out for the pure C2H6, C2H6:CO2 = 3:1, and 1:3 mixed fluids confined in 4-nm cylindrical silica pores at three different pressures (30 bars, 65 bars, and 100 bars) at 323 K. Two Lorentzian functions were required to fit the spectra, corresponding to fast and slow translational motions. No localized motions (rotations and vibrations) were detected. Higher pressures resulted in hindrances of the diffusivity of C2H6 molecules in all systems investigated. Pore size was found to be an important factor, i.e., the dynamics of confined C2H6 is more restricted in smaller pores compared to the larger pores used in previous studies. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to complement the QENS experiment at 65 bars, providing supportive structure information and comparable dynamic information. The simulations indicate that CO2 molecules are more strongly attracted to the pore surface compared to C2H6. The C2H6 molecules interacting with or near the pore surface form a dense first layer (L1) close to the pore surface and a second less dense layer (L2) extending into the pore center. Both the experiments and simulations revealed the role that CO2 molecules play in enhancing C2H6 diffusion (“molecular lubrication”) at high CO2:C2H6 ratios. The energy scales of the two dynamic components, fast and slow, quantified by both techniques, are in very good agreement. Herein, the simulations identified the fast component as the main contributor to the dynamics. Molecule motions in the L2 region are mostly responsible for the dynamics (fast and slow) that can be detected by the instrument.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; SC0006878
OSTI ID:
1606043
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1601908
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 152, Issue 8; ISSN 0021-9606
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 11 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (114)

Direct Assessment of Transport Properties of Supercritical Fluids Confined to Nanopores journal August 2007
Adsorption of <mml:math altimg="si1.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll" xmlns:xocs="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/xocs/dtd" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/ja/dtd" xmlns:ja="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/ja/dtd" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:tb="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/table/dtd" xmlns:sb="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/struct-bib/dtd" xmlns:ce="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/dtd" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:cals="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/cals/dtd"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">CO</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> from dry gases on MCM-41 silica at ambient temperature and high pressure. 1: Pure <mml:math altimg="si2.gif" display="inline" overflow="scroll" xmlns:xocs="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/xocs/dtd" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/ja/dtd" xmlns:ja="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/ja/dtd" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:tb="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/table/dtd" xmlns:sb="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/struct-bib/dtd" xmlns:ce="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/dtd" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:cals="http://www.elsevier.com/xml/common/cals/dtd"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">CO</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> adsorption journal September 2009
Direct Measurements of Pore Fluid Density by Vibrating Tube Densimetry journal March 2012
Transport Diffusivity of N 2 and CO 2 in Silicalite:  Coherent Quasielastic Neutron Scattering Measurements and Molecular Dynamics Simulations journal August 2004
The Nanoscale Basis of CO 2 Trapping for Geologic Storage journal August 2015
High-resolution adsorption isotherms of supercritical carbon dioxide on activated carbon journal October 2000
Adsorption of N2, CH4, CO and CO2 gases in single walled carbon nanotubes: A combined experimental and Monte Carlo molecular simulation study journal December 2010
Dynamics and Structure of Hydration Water on Rutile and Cassiterite Nanopowders Studied by Quasielastic Neutron Scattering and Molecular Dynamics Simulations journal February 2007
Gas separation properties of molecular sieving carbon membranes with nanopore channels journal January 2004
Pulse Field Gradient NMR Study of Diffusion of Pentane in Amorphous Glassy Perfluorodioxole journal July 2001
Adsorption Equilibrium of Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen on Zeolite 13X at High Pressures journal July 2004
N-octane diffusivity enhancement via carbon dioxide in silica slit-shaped nanopores – a molecular dynamics simulation journal October 2015
Neutron diffraction measurements on CO2 in both undercritical and supercritical states journal December 1997
Transferable Potentials for Phase Equilibria. 1. United-Atom Description of n-Alkanes March 1998
Experimental study and modelling of methane adsorption and diffusion in shale journal January 2014
Screening Zeolites for Gas Separation Applications Involving Methane, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide journal October 2011
Sorption, Structure and Dynamics of CO2 and Ethane in Silicalite at High Pressure: A Combined Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study journal December 2018
Intracrystalline Transport Resistances in Nanoporous Zeolite X journal October 2009
CBM and CO2-ECBM related sorption processes in coal: A review journal August 2011
Atomistic Simulations of CO 2 and N 2 Adsorption in Silica Zeolites:  The Impact of Pore Size and Shape journal August 2002
Adsorption of Methane, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, and Their Binary Mixtures on Dry Activated Carbon at 318.2 K and Pressures up to 13.6 MPa journal June 2003
Benefit of Microscopic Diffusion Measurement for the Characterization of Nanoporous Materials journal October 2009
In situ study on molecular diffusion phenomena in nanoporous catalytic solids journal January 2010
Dynamics of alkane chains included in an organic matrix: Molecular dynamics simulation and comparison with neutron scattering experiment journal August 1998
Mass transfer in mesoporous materials: the benefit of microscopic diffusion measurement journal January 2013
Nanopore and nanoparticle catalysts journal January 2001
Adsorption Equilibria of Binary Gas Mixtures on Graphitized Carbon Black journal January 2012
High-Pressure Adsorption of CO 2 on NaY Zeolite and Model Prediction of Adsorption Isotherms journal September 2004
DAVE: A Comprehensive Software Suite for the Reduction, Visualization, and Analysis of Low Energy Neutron Spectroscopic Data
  • Azuah, Richard Tumanjong; Kneller, Larry R.; Qiu, Yiming
  • Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Vol. 114, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.6028/jres.114.025
journal November 2009
High-pressure sorption isotherms and sorption kinetics of CH4 and CO2 on coals journal March 2010
Review and Analysis of Molecular Simulations of Methane, Hydrogen, and Acetylene Storage in Metal–Organic Frameworks journal September 2011
Selective adsorption of carbon dioxide, methane and ethane by porous clays heterostructures journal July 2008
Sorption Capacity and Sorption Kinetic Measurements of CO 2 and CH 4 in Confined and Unconfined Bituminous Coal journal September 2009
Mechanisms for Silanol Formation on Amorphous Silica Fracture Surfaces journal May 1999
Preferential Adsorption in Ethane/Carbon Dioxide Fluid Mixtures Confined within Silica Nanopores journal November 2019
High pressure adsorption of hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and methane on the metal–organic framework HKUST-1 journal February 2011
Chiral catalysis in nanopores of mesoporous materials journal January 2007
First international inter-laboratory comparison of high-pressure CH 4 , CO 2 and C 2 H 6 sorption isotherms on carbonaceous shales journal October 2014
Pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance study of long–range diffusion in beds of NaX zeolite: Evidence for different apparent tortuosity factors in the Knudsen and bulk regimes journal August 2002
Methane/CO 2 Sorption Modeling for Coalbed Methane Production and CO 2 Sequestration journal July 2006
Catalysis and nanoscience journal January 2003
Surface Selective Approach to Separation of Propylene from Propane journal August 1996
Microstructural Characterization of Adsorption and Depletion Regimes of Supercritical Fluids in Nanopores journal November 2007
The glassy phase of 1-cyanoadamantane; a study of the molecular reorientations by high-resolution quasi-elastic neutron scattering journal January 1987
Dynamics of Propane in Nanoporous Silica Aerogel: A Quasielastic Neutron Scattering Study journal July 2015
DL_POLY_3: new dimensions in molecular dynamics simulations via massive parallelism journal January 2006
A PFG-NMR Study of Restricted Diffusion in Heterogeneous Polymer Particles journal July 2001
Relationships between the Critical Properties of Gases and Their High Pressure Sorption Behavior on Coals journal March 2010
Constraining Asymmetric Organometallic Catalysts within Mesoporous Supports Boosts Their Enantioselectivity journal December 2003
CO 2 –C 4 H 10 Mixtures Simulated in Silica Slit Pores: Relation between Structure and Dynamics journal June 2015
Exploring the surface permeability of nanoporous particles by pulsed field gradient NMR journal April 2007
Relationships between CO2 sorption capacity by coals as measured at low and high pressure and their swelling journal February 2012
Modeling of CO2 sorption on coal journal August 2008
Nanoscale Metallic Iron for Environmental Remediation: Prospects and Limitations journal September 2011
Quasi-elastic neutron scattering and molecular dynamics simulation as complementary techniques for studying diffusion in zeolites journal May 2007
Sorption Phase of Supercritical CO 2 in Silica Aerogel: Experiments and Mesoscale Computer Simulations journal July 2014
Effects of water on the stochastic motions of propane confined in MCM-41-S pores journal January 2019
Hydrocarbon Behavior at Nanoscale Interfaces journal January 2013
Methane Adsorption on Shale under Simulated Geological Temperature and Pressure Conditions journal May 2013
Transport Characteristics of Nanoscale Functional Zerovalent Iron/Silica Composites for in Situ Remediation of Trichloroethylene journal December 2008
Water in nanopores: II. The liquid–vapour phase transition near hydrophobic surfaces journal October 2004
Pore Size Effects on the Sorption of Supercritical CO 2 in Mesoporous CPG-10 Silica journal December 2011
Adsorption and Diffusion Behavior of Ethane and Ethylene in Sol-Gel Derived Microporous Silica journal November 2005
Sorption of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen in dry coals at high pressure and moderate temperature journal January 2010
Temperature dependence of sorption of gases by coals and charcoals journal February 2008
Structure and dynamics of water on the forsterite surface journal January 2018
Nanoporous TiO2-supported bimetallic catalysts for methanol oxidation in acidic media journal September 2006
Adsorption of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide on Silica journal July 2001
Interaction Models for Water in Relation to Protein Hydration book January 1981
A combined computational and experimental study of high pressure and supercritical CO2 adsorption on Basolite MOFs journal July 2013
Cage and Window Effects in the Adsorption of n -Alkanes on Chabazite and SAPO-34 journal September 2008
Reinvestigation of the structure of low cristobalite journal May 1965
Transport in Nanoporous Materials Including MOFs: The Applicability of Fick’s Laws journal October 2015
Supercritical fluid behavior at nanoscale interfaces: Implications for CO 2 sequestration in geologic formations journal March 2010
Fast diffusion in a room temperature ionic liquid confined in mesoporous carbon journal March 2012
Dynamics of Adsorbed Hydrocarbon in Nanoporous Zeolite Framework journal June 2009
Molecular Models of Hydroxide, Oxyhydroxide, and Clay Phases and the Development of a General Force Field journal January 2004
Phase Behavior and Adsorption of Pure Substances and Mixtures and Characterization in Nanopore Structures by Density Functional Theory journal December 2014
Comparison of adsorption isotherms on Cu-BTC metal organic frameworks synthesized from different routes journal January 2009
High-Pressure Adsorption of Pure Gases on Coals and Activated Carbon: Measurements and Modeling journal December 2011
Application of a Modified Dubinin−Radushkevich Equation to Adsorption of Gases by Coals under Supercritical Conditions journal March 2007
Aqueous Hydrogen Sulfide in Slit-Shaped Silica Nanopores: Confinement Effects on Solubility, Structural, and Dynamical Properties journal May 2018
Role of Confinement on Adsorption and Dynamics of Ethane and an Ethane–CO 2 Mixture in Mesoporous CPG Silica journal February 2016
Water in nanopores. I. Coexistence curves from Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations journal January 2004
Relationships between the sorption behaviour of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and ethane on coals journal July 2012
Facile synthesis of a mesoporous silica-supported catalyst for Ru-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of ketones journal January 2008
Adsorption of hexane isomers on MFI type zeolites at ambient temperature: Understanding the aluminium content effect journal April 2013
CO 2 Sorption to Subsingle Hydration Layer Montmorillonite Clay Studied by Excess Sorption and Neutron Diffraction Measurements journal August 2012
Nanoscale simulation of shale transport properties using the lattice Boltzmann method: permeability and diffusivity journal January 2015
Phase separation in confined systems journal December 1999
Adsorption Equilibria of CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 , O 2 , and Ar on High Silica Zeolites journal November 2011
Observation of fragile-to-strong liquid transition in surface water in CeO2 journal November 2005
Ethane/Ethene Separation Turned on Its Head: Selective Ethane Adsorption on the Metal−Organic Framework ZIF-7 through a Gate-Opening Mechanism journal December 2010
Selective adsorption of hydrocarbon gases on clays and organic matter journal April 2004
High-pressure methane and carbon dioxide sorption on coal and shale samples from the Paraná Basin, Brazil journal December 2010
Effects of Confinement and Pressure on the Vibrational Behavior of Nano-Confined Propane journal July 2018
Evidence of Anisotropic Self-Diffusion of Guest Molecules in Nanoporous Materials of MCM-41 Type journal September 2000
Green chemistry by nano-catalysis journal January 2010
Confined Water Determines Transport Properties of Guest Molecules in Narrow Pores journal July 2016
Measuring and Modeling Supercritical Adsorption in Porous Solids. Carbon Dioxide on 13X Zeolite and on Silica Gel journal February 2003
A smooth particle mesh Ewald method journal November 1995
Concentration dependence of transport diffusion of ethane in silicalite: A comparison between neutron scattering experiments and atomically detailed simulations journal June 2005
Experimental Observation of Critical Depletion:  Nitrous Oxide Adsorption on Silica Gel journal December 2002
Adsorption of m -Xylene on Prehydrated Zeolite BaX:  Correlation between Temperature-Programmed Desorption and Low-Temperature Neutron Powder Diffraction Studies journal February 2000
Pattern of adsorption isotherms in Ono–Kondo coordinates journal February 2012
Dynamics of Hydration Water on Rutile Studied by Backscattering Neutron Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulation journal July 2008
High-pressure CH4 and CO2 sorption isotherms as a function of coal maturity and the influence of moisture journal October 2013
Propane simulated in silica pores: Adsorption isotherms, molecular structure, and mobility journal January 2015
Propane–Water Mixtures Confined within Cylindrical Silica Nanopores: Structural and Dynamical Properties Probed by Molecular Dynamics journal September 2017
Pore Condensation and Critical-Point Shift of a Fluid in Controlled-Pore Glass journal November 1994
Adsorption measurements of argon, neon, krypton, nitrogen, and methane on activated carbon up to 650 MPa journal February 1992
Orientational correlations in liquid and supercritical CO 2 : neutron diffraction experiments and molecular dynamics simulations journal February 2001
Structure-mobility relations of molecular diffusion in nanoporous materials journal April 2003
High-Pressure Adsorption Equilibria of Methane and Carbon Dioxide on Several Activated Carbons journal March 2005

Similar Records

Effects of water on the stochastic motions of propane confined in MCM-41-S pores
Journal Article · Tue Oct 29 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP (Print) · OSTI ID:1606043

Aminopolymer Mobility and Support Interactions in Silica-PEI Composites for CO2 Capture Applications: A Quasielastic Neutron Scattering Study
Journal Article · Tue May 30 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Journal of Physical Chemistry. B, Condensed Matter, Materials, Surfaces, Interfaces and Biophysical Chemistry · OSTI ID:1606043

Propane–Water Mixtures Confined within Cylindrical Silica Nanopores: Structural and Dynamical Properties Probed by Molecular Dynamics
Journal Article · Thu Sep 14 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Langmuir · OSTI ID:1606043