Scientific Achievement
Spectroscopic and scattering experiments measured kinetics of polymer adsorption into pores and product desorption out of the pores for a mesoporous-shell/cleavage-site/solid-core catalyst, revealing that chain length and pore diameter govern the rates.
Significance and Impact
Selectivity imparted by the nanopore shell of polymer upcycling catalysts is understood in terms of macromolecular adsorption and desorption kinetics, providing fundamental design principles for new upcycling catalysts.
Research Details
- The pores exhibit selective enhancement in the adsorption of intermediate-length chains, reducing the likelihood of chain scission for shorter chains.
- The confined geometry of nanopores enhances the dynamics of polymer chains, particularly for longer chains. This heightened dynamics increases the likelihood of cutting longer chains compared to shorter ones.
X. Lyu, M. Meirow, X. Wu, X. Zhou, Y. Liu, W. Huang, T. Li, B. Lee, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2023, 15, 27379. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.3c04152
Work was performed at the CNM and APS of the Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University, and Ames National Lab