In
this study, CH4 hydrate systems containing the six
compounds 2,4-dimethylpentane (24DMP), di-isopropyl ether (DIPE),
di-isopropyl amine (DIPA), n-pentane, diethyl ether
(DEE), and diethyl amine (DEA) were investigated through spectroscopic
analyses. According to high-resolution powder diffraction, NMR, and
Raman analyses, only the secondary amine molecules of DIPA and DEA
are found to be selectively accommodated in sH-L cages. Both DIPA
and DEA exhibit no hydrogen bond strongly linked to the host framework,
according to the clear “free NH” signals detected from
Raman spectra. However, no signals of entrapped 24DMP, DIPE, n-pentane, and DEE are observed, even when mixtures of the
additives (e.g., 24DMP + DIPA) are introduced. The equilibrium P–T conditions for CH4 hydrates containing the six additives were also measured. Finally,
several hypotheses for interpreting the selective inclusion phenomena
are suggested from geometric perspectives of the host framework and
the guest molecules, in terms of the van der Waals volume. It should
be emphasized that the present findings and interpretations have extended
the fundamentals of clathrate hydrates, especially in relation to
the unique physicochemical properties and functional usage of sH hydrates.