The first direct evidence that Ti atoms are not equally distributed in the 12 crystallographically independent T sites of the MFI framework is presented on the basis of neutron diffraction data collected at the HRPD instrument of the ISIS pulsed neutron source. We found strong evidence indicating that T6, T7, and T11 are the most populated sites and weak evidence that Ti may be hosted in T10. Ti occupancy can be excluded for sites T1, T2, T4, T5, T9, and T12. The occupancy of the remaining sites is doubtful. Since defective silicalite has been shown to exhibit the same preferential sites (T6, T7, T11, and T10) for Si vacancies, it may be suggested that the incorporation mechanism of the Ti atoms in the MFI framework occurs via the insertion of titanium in the defective sites. This hypothesis implies that titanium has a mineralizing effect on the MFI framework, and it is supported by independent spectroscopic data on both TS-1 and defective silicalite. The results are discussed in comparison with the known substitution mechanisms in the T-sites of MFI-type structures.

Siting of copper ions in Cu I -Y zeolite, prepared by gas-phase exchange of NH 4 -Y with CuCl, has been investigated employing XRPD, XAS and IR spectroscopies. An X-ray powder diffraction study of the zeolite in a vacuum shows that 23.4(2) cuprous ions are located at site I*, 6.1(3) at site II, and 11.5(3) at site II* (sites I* and II* are at the center of the plane of the six-membered ring connecting the hexagonal prism with the sodalite and the sodalite with the supercage, respectively). Addition of CO induces a relevant migration of copper ions from sites II and II* to a more exposed type II. EXAFS analysis shows that Cu I ions in the outgassed zeolite are surrounded by 2.8(3) oxygen atoms of the zeolite framework, the average Cu I -O distance being 1.99(2) Å. Both X-ray measurements and FTIR spectroscopy show that CO is adsorbed on the zeolite at room temperature with formation of carbonyl adducts. At liquid-nitrogen temperature and low CO pressure, two types of monocarbonyl species are observed, corresponding to CO adsorbed on copper ions located at sites II and II*. On increase of the CO pressure and subsequent formation of polycarbonylic species, cations at site II* move to the more exposed position II, and a single kind of tricarbonyl adducts is observed. IR spectroscopy also provides evidence for the interaction of NO with copper ions located at sites II and II*, which are the first sites able to adsorb up to two molecules of NO, whereas cations at site II*, because of their lower coordinative unsaturation, can only form Cu I (NO) adducts. NO proves to be a sensitive probe not only for cuprous but also for cupric ions.

The crystal structure of silicalite (SiO2) with a substantial amount of structural hydroxyl groups [Si(1-x)O(2-4x)(OH)4x, with 0.08

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The photocathode exhibits 100% Faradaic efficiency and a photocurrent density of 3 mA cm2 at 0.0 V RHE.