New Progress in Nano-Confinement Research

Molecules will exhibit unique physical and chemical properties during their diffusion and reaction in a confined environment within a nano-pore, and a great number of computation and simulation have been carried out by theoretical researchers. Recently，our group has made a significant progress in this area. By employing the technique of laser induced hyperpolarization of 129Xe in a home-made installation of dynamic catalytic reaction system and coupled with a Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer, we succeeded for the first time in the observing of the diffusion and dehydration processes of methanol molecules in the pore channels of the CHA molecular sieve having a pore diameter of 0.8 nm. Meanwhile, precise kinetic parameters of diffusion and reaction were recorded. These results were published in a recent issue of the Journal of American Chemical Society (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 131（2009）13722-13727), which was commented as “an invention with important significance for the research of catalytic reactions within nano-pores.”