Adsorption and diffusion of benzene in the nanoporous catalysts FAU, ZSM-5 and MCM-22: a molecular dynamics study

J Mol Graph Model. 2006 Mar;24(5):373-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2005.10.003. Epub 2005 Nov 9.

Abstract

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of benzene in siliceous zeolites (FAU, ZSM-5, and MCM-22) were performed at loadings of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 molecules per supercell. The potential energy functions for these simulations were constructed in a semi-empirical way from existing potentials and experimental energetic data. The MD simulations were employed to analyze the dynamic properties of the benzene-zeolite systems. The adsorption energies of benzene/siliceous zeolite complexes increase with increasing loading number, due to the intermolecular attraction between benzene molecules. The self-diffusion coefficient of benzene in siliceous zeolites decreases with increasing loading due to the steric hindrance between the sorbates passing each other. From the zeolite-benzene radial distribution functions it was found that the benzene molecules are relatively far from each other, about 5.2A for siliceous FAU, 5.2A for siliceous ZSM-5, and 4.8A for siliceous MCM-22. In the case of FAU, the benzene molecules prefer to be adsorbed parallel to the surface of the sodalite cage above the six-membered-ring. In ZSM-5, we found a T-structure of the benzene molecules at loadings 2, 4, and 8 molecules per supercell. At loadings of 16 molecules per supercell, the molecules are lined up along the straight channel and their movement is highly correlated. For MCM-22 we found adjacent benzene molecules at a loading of 4 molecules with an orientation similar to the stacked conformation of benzene dimer in the gas phase.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Benzene / pharmacokinetics*
  • Catalysis
  • Computer Simulation*
  • Diffusion
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures
  • Porosity
  • Zeolites / chemistry*

Substances

  • Zeolites
  • Benzene