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Title: Facilitating guest transport in clathrate hydrates by tuning guest-host interactions

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4907720· OSTI ID:22416155
; ;  [1];
  1. National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada)

The understanding and eventual control of guest molecule transport in gas hydrates is of central importance for the efficient synthesis and processing of these materials for applications in the storage, separation, and sequestration of gases and natural gas production. Previously, some links have been established between dynamics of the host water molecules and guest-host hydrogen bonding interactions, but direct observation of transport in the form of cage-to-cage guest diffusion is still lacking. Recent calculations have suggested that pairs of different guest molecules in neighboring cages can affect guest-host hydrogen bonding and, therefore, defect injection and water lattice motions. We have chosen two sets of hydrate guest pairs, tetrahydrofuran (THF)-CO{sub 2} and isobutane-CO{sub 2}, that are predicted to enhance or to diminish guest–host hydrogen bonding interactions as compared to those in pure CO{sub 2} hydrate and we have studied guest dynamics in each using {sup 13}C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods. In addition, we have obtained the crystal structure of the THF-CO{sub 2} sII hydrate using the combined single crystal X-ray diffraction and {sup 13}C NMR powder pattern data and have performed molecular dynamics-simulation of the CO{sub 2} dynamics. The NMR powder line shape studies confirm the enhanced and delayed dynamics for the THF and isobutane containing hydrates, respectively, as compared to those in the CO{sub 2} hydrate. In addition, from line shape studies and 2D exchange spectroscopy NMR, we observe cage-to-cage exchange of CO{sub 2} molecules in the THF-CO{sub 2} hydrate, but not in the other hydrates studied. We conclude that the relatively rapid intercage guest dynamics are the result of synergistic guest A–host water–guest B interactions, thus allowing tuning of the guest transport properties in the hydrates by choice of the appropriate guest molecules. Our experimental value for inter-cage hopping is slower by a factor of 10{sup 6} than a published calculated value.

OSTI ID:
22416155
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 142, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English