In situ NMR spectroscopy of combustion

J Am Chem Soc. 2003 Oct 29;125(43):13298-302. doi: 10.1021/ja035838b.

Abstract

The first successful in situ studies of free combustion processes by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy are reported, and the feasibility of this concept is demonstrated. In this proof-of-principle work, methane combustion over a nanoporous material is investigated using hyperpolarized (hp)-xenon-129 NMR spectroscopy. Different inhomogeneous regions within the combustion cell are identified by the xenon chemical shift, and the gas exchange between these regions during combustion is revealed by two-dimensional exchange spectra (EXSY). The development of NMR spectroscopy as an analytical tool for combustion processes is of potential importance for catalyzed reactions within opaque media that are difficult to investigate by other techniques.