Anomalous Volume Changes in the Siliceous Zeolite Theta-1 TON due to Hydrogen Insertion under High-Pressure,...

High-pressure X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell were used to study the insertion of the chemical hydrogen storage material, ammonia borane, in the one-dimensional pores of the zeolite theta-1 TON. Heating of this material up to 300 °C under pressures up to 5 GPa resulted in the release of a significant amount of hydrogen due to the conversion of ammonia borane confined in the channels of TON and outside the zeolite to polyaminoborane and then polyiminoborane chains. The filling of TON with hydrogen resulted in a much greater increase in unit cell volume than that corresponding to thermal expansion of normal compact inorganic solids. This process at high temperature is accompanied by a phase transition from the collapsed high-pressure Pbn2₁ form to the more symmetric Cmc2₁ phase with expanded pores. This material has a high capacity for hydrogen adsorption under high-temperature, high-pressure conditions.