Integrated Stopped-Flow Device for the Study of Porous Materials Using Hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe NMR.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Studying porous materials is crucial for understanding their properties and applications.
• Traditional methods for analyzing porous materials can be costly and require large sample volumes.
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) offers a non-destructive way to probe material structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a simple, low-cost, and efficient device for studying porous materials using NMR.
• To enable the use of small gas probes, specifically hyperpolarized xenon, for material analysis.
• To assess the performance of the developed device on a multiporous material sample.

Main Methods:

• Additive manufacturing (3D printing) was used to construct the device.
• A radiofrequency solenoid microcoil was integrated into the device.
• The device was tested using hyperpolarized xenon gas and a commercial MCM-41 sample.
• Two-dimensional (2D) 129Xe self-diffusion and Exchange Spectroscopy (EXSY) experiments were performed.

Main Results:

• The device demonstrated efficiency in delivering hyperpolarized xenon.
• The stopped-flow system integrated into the device proved effective.
• The device successfully analyzed a commercial MCM-41 sample with multiporosity.
• The 2D 129Xe NMR experiments provided valuable insights into the material's properties.

Conclusions:

• The proposed device is a simple, low-cost, and efficient tool for porous material analysis via NMR.
• The device's suitability for hyperpolarized noble gases like xenon was confirmed.
• The system's performance validates its potential for advanced material characterization studies.