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Bradley Bockrath

Publications and source records attributed to Bradley Bockrath.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Hydrogen storage properties of metal nitroprussides M[Fe(CN)5NO], (M = Co, Ni).

The volumetric hydrogen adsorption isotherms of two isostructural dehydrated cubic metal nitroprussides M[Fe(CN)5NO] (M = Co2+, Ni2+) have been measured up to a pressure of 760 Torr at 77 and 87 K. These materials are among the most efficient H2 sorbents based on porous coordination polymers reported to date. The H2 uptake in both materials is approximately 1.6 wt % at 77 K and 760 torr. These H2 capacities match those reported recently in the structurally related M3[Co(CN)6]2 compounds and are approximately 25% higher than those reported for Zn4O(1,4-benzenedicarboxylate)3 under the same conditions of temperature and pressure. The isosteric heats of H2 adsorption calculated from the 77 and 87 K isotherms for both materials were found to vary from approximately 7.5 kJ/mol at 0.40 wt % coverage to approximately 5.5 kJ/mol at 1.2 wt % coverage. The N2 BET surface areas were determined to be 634 m2/g and 523 m2/g for M = Ni and M = Co, respectively.

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Raman spectroscopic investigation of gas interactions with an aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube membrane.

Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate ethane, propane, and SF6 interactions with an aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) membrane. Pressures of 7.5-9.3 atm and temperatures of 293-333 K were examined for propane and SF6, whereas slightly lower temperatures (263-293 K) and pressures (6.7-7.5 atm) were used for ethane. Red-shifting and broadening is seen for the C-C stretching vibrations of the two hydrocarbons, as well as for the A1g symmetric vibration (nu1) of SF6. These spectral features indicate that the interaction between the gas and the nanotube membrane is capable of perturbing molecular vibrations and creating red-shifted features. Control experiments done on polycrystalline graphite and a polystyrene blank indicate that this spectral behavior is unique to gases interacting with the nanotubes in the membrane.

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Controlled confinement and release of gases in single-walled carbon nanotube bundles.

A simple procedure is described that locks small quantities of SF6, CO2, and 13CO2 into opened single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles and keeps the gas in the SWNTs above the desorption temperature of these molecules. The technique involves opening the SWNTs with ozonolysis at 300 K followed by vacuum-annealing at 700 K. Gases are then cryogenically adsorbed into the opened SWNTs and locked into the SWNT pores by functionalizing the sample with a low-temperature ozone treatment. The low-temperature ozone treatment functionalizes the entry ports into the SWNT pores, which in turn create a physical barrier for gases trying to desorb through these functionalized ports. The samples are stable under vacuum for periods of at least 24 h, and the trapped gases can be released by vacuum-heating to 700 K. Reduced quantities of the trapped gases remain in the SWNTs even after exposure to room air. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to monitor the functionalities resulting from the ozone treatment and to detect the trapped gas species.

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On the chemical nature of graphene edges: origin of stability and potential for magnetism in carbon materials.

Heretofore disconnected experimental observations are combined with a theoretical study to develop a model of the chemical composition of the edges of graphene sheets in both flat and curved sp(2)-hybridized carbon materials. It is proposed that under ambient conditions a significant fraction of the oxygen-free edge sites are neither H-terminated nor unadulterated sigma free radicals, as universally assumed. The zigzag sites are carbene-like, with the triplet ground state being most common. The armchair sites are carbyne-like, with the singlet ground state being most common. This proposal is not only consistent with the key electronic properties and surface (re)activity behavior of carbons, but it can also explain the recently documented and heretofore puzzling ferromagnetic properties of some impurity-free carbon materials.

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Hydrogen-bonded and physisorbed CO in single-walled carbon nanotube bundles.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to study CO adsorption in single-walled carbon nanotubes. Evidence for adsorption in endohedral and groove/external surface sites is presented through displacement studies involving both CO and CO2. Blue-shifted CO stretching frequencies also indicate that CO hydrogen bonds to hydroxyl functionalities created on the nanotubes by acid purification steps. N2 surface area measurements are used to further understand the porosity of the nanotube samples and to help explain the spectroscopic results.

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Microporous metal organic materials: promising candidates as sorbents for hydrogen storage.

Advancement in hydrogen storage techniques represents one of the most important areas of today's materials research. While extensive efforts have been made to the existing techniques, there is no viable storage technology capable of meeting the DOE cost and performance targets at the present time. New materials with significantly improved hydrogen adsorption capability are needed. Microporous metal coordination materials (MMOM) are promising candidates for use as sorbents in hydrogen adsorption. These materials possess physical characteristics similar to those of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) but also exhibit a number of improved features. Here, we report a novel MMOM structure and its room-temperature hydrogen adsorption properties.

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