Mesoporous silica materials containing microporous cavities provided by covalently bound ¦Â-cyclodextrin (CD ICS) were synthesized by co-condensation of a ¦Â-CD functionalized triethoxy silane (CD ICL) with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) by using neutral amine surfactants as structure directing agents (SDA). CD ICL was prepared by reacting ¦Â-CD with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane. IR spectroscopy of CD ICL showed complete disappearance of isocyanato group at 2270 cm-1. 1H NMR results indicate an average of four isocyanate linkers covalently attached to random hydroxyl substituents of each molecule of ¦Â-CD. <p> Nine different CD ICS materials were synthesized using dodecylamine, tetradecylamine or hexadecylamine with ¦Â-CD (2, 4, and 6 mol %) with respect to TEOS. The incorporation of ¦Â-CD within the mesoporous framework was supported by IR, Raman, MALDI TOF MS, solid state 13C NMR CP-MAS and TGA results. Small angle X-ray diffraction results showed a peak at 2¦È ¡Ö 2.20, supporting the presence of an ordered silica mesostructure framework. For materials with same CD loading, the surface area and pore volume doubled as the surfactant from dodecylamine to hexadecylamine. However, as the CD loading increased from 2% to 6%, the surface area decreases by a factor of ~ 1.5. <p>MALDI TOF mass spectrometry showed two peaks at m/z 1157 a.m.u. and 1173 a.m.u. for [¦Â-CD + Na]+ and [¦Â-CD + K]+ respectively due to desorption of ¦Â-CD from the walls of the silica matrix. The 13C NMR CP MAS results showed 13C signals in the region ¦Ä=60-110 ppm due to the nuclei of ¦Â-CD. CD ICS materials were found to be effective as a sorbent in both gas and aqueous phases, respectively. The sorption capacity (mmol/g) of p-nitrophenol increased from 61% to 84% with an increase of CD loading from 2% to 6% and as the alkyl chain length of the SDA increases from dodecylamine to hexadecylamine. The adsorption isotherm of CH3Cl in the gas phase and that of p-nitrophenol in the aqueous phase at ambient temperature adopts a multilayer model of adsorption.

Mesoporous silica materials containing microporous cavities provided by covalently bound ¦Â-cyclodextrin (CD ICS) were synthesized by co-condensation of a ¦Â-CD functionalized triethoxy silane (CD ICL) with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) by using neutral amine surfactants as structure directing agents (SDA). CD ICL was prepared by reacting ¦Â-CD with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane. IR spectroscopy of CD ICL showed complete disappearance of isocyanato group at 2270 cm-1. 1H NMR results indicate an average of four isocyanate linkers covalently attached to random hydroxyl substituents of each molecule of ¦Â-CD. <p> Nine different CD ICS materials were synthesized using dodecylamine, tetradecylamine or hexadecylamine with ¦Â-CD (2, 4, and 6 mol %) with respect to TEOS. The incorporation of ¦Â-CD within the mesoporous framework was supported by IR, Raman, MALDI TOF MS, solid state 13C NMR CP-MAS and TGA results. Small angle X-ray diffraction results showed a peak at 2¦È ¡Ö 2.20, supporting the presence of an ordered silica mesostructure framework. For materials with same CD loading, the surface area and pore volume doubled as the surfactant from dodecylamine to hexadecylamine. However, as the CD loading increased from 2% to 6%, the surface area decreases by a factor of ~ 1.5. <p>MALDI TOF mass spectrometry showed two peaks at m/z 1157 a.m.u. and 1173 a.m.u. for [¦Â-CD + Na]+ and [¦Â-CD + K]+ respectively due to desorption of ¦Â-CD from the walls of the silica matrix. The 13C NMR CP MAS results showed 13C signals in the region ¦Ä=60-110 ppm due to the nuclei of ¦Â-CD. CD ICS materials were found to be effective as a sorbent in both gas and aqueous phases, respectively. The sorption capacity (mmol/g) of p-nitrophenol increased from 61% to 84% with an increase of CD loading from 2% to 6% and as the alkyl chain length of the SDA increases from dodecylamine to hexadecylamine. The adsorption isotherm of CH3Cl in the gas phase and that of p-nitrophenol in the aqueous phase at ambient temperature adopts a multilayer model of adsorption.

Dans ce travail réalisé au Centre de Morphologie Mathématique and IFPEN, on s'intéresse à la microstructure et aux propriétés physiques d'alumines mésoporeuses. Il s'agit d'un supporte de catalyseur utilisés notamment dans les processus industriels de raffinage du pétrole. Fortement poreux, ce matériau est formé de ''plaquettes'' distribuées de manière désordonnée à l'échelle de la dizaine de nanomètres. Les propriétés de transport de masse du support de catalyseur sont fortement influencées par la morphologie de la microstructure poreuse. Ce travail porte sur la modélisation de la microstructure et des propriétés de transport des alumines mésoporeuses, à l'aide d'outils numériques et théoriques dérivés de l'analyse d'image et de la théorie des ensembles aléatoires. D'une part, on met en place des méthodes de caractérisation et de modélisation des microstructures, qui s'appuient sur, entre autre, des images obtenues par microscopie électronique en transmission (MET) et des courbes de porosimétrie azote. D'autre part, on utilise des méthodes d'homogénéisation numérique à champs complets par transformées de Fourier rapide (FFT).Dans un premier temps, le matériau est caractérisé expérimentalement par porosimétrie azote et résonance magnétique nucléaire à gradient de champ pulsé (RMN-GCP). Les images MET sont obtenus sur des échantillons d'épaisseur variable, filtrées et caractérisés par des fonctions de corrélation, notamment. Le bruit à haute fréquence issu de la membrane de carbone est identifié et pris en compte dans la modélisation de l'imagerie MET. À partir des images MET 2D, un modèle aléatoire à deux échelles est proposé pour représenter la microstructure 3D. Il prend en compte la forme des plaquettes d'alumines, leurs tailles, les effets d'alignement locaux et d'agrégation, qui sont identifiés numériquement. La procédure est validée à l'aide de comparaisons entre modèle et images expérimentales, en terme notamment de fonctions de corrélation et de surface spécifique, mesurées par porosimétrie azote.Dans un deuxième temps, une méthode de simulation des courbes d'isothermes de porosimétrie dans des milieux poreux périodiques ou aléatoires est développée. Basée sur des opérations morphologiques simples, elle étend un travail antérieur sur la porosimétrie au mercure. L'adsorption multicouche à basse pression est simulée à l'aide d'une dilatation tandis que les ménisques de l'interface vapeur-liquide intervenant pendant l'adsorption sont simulés à l'aide de fermetures de la phase solide par des éléments structurants sphériques. Pour simuler la désorption, une combinaison de fermetures et de bouchages de trou est utilisée. Le seuil de désorption est obtenu par une analyse de la percolation de la phase gazeuse. La méthode, d'abord validée sur des géométries simples, est comparée à des résultats antérieurs. Elle prédit une hystérésis et les distributions de pores associées à la porosimétrie. Nous l'appliquons aux modèles de microstructures 3D d'alumines mésoporeuses et proposons un modèle à trois échelles afin de rendre compte du seuil de pression pendant la désorption. En plus de la courbe de désorption, ce modèle reproduit les fonctions de corrélation mesurées sur les images MET.Dans un troisième temps, la diffusion de Fick, la perméabilité de Darcy, et les propriétés élastiques sont prédits à l'aide de calculs de champs complets par FFT sur des réalisations des modèles d'alumines mésoporeuses à deux et trois échelles. Les coefficients de diffusion effectifs et les facteurs de tortuosité sont prédits à partir de l'estimation du flux. Sont étudiés les effets de forme, d'alignement et d'agrégation des plaquettes sur les propriétés de diffusion à grande échelle. Les prédictions numériques sont validées au moyen des résultats expérimentaux obtenus par méthode RMN-GCP. / In a work made at Centre de Morphologie Mathématique and IFPEN, we study the microstructure and physical properties of mesoporous alumina. This is a catalyst carrier used in the petroleum refining industry. Highly porous, it contains disordered ''platelets'' at the nanoscale. The mass transport properties of the catalyst carrier are strongly influenced by the morphology of the porous microstructure. We focus on the modeling of the microstructure and of transport properties of mesoporous alumina, using numerical and theoretical tools derived from image analysis and random sets models. On the one hand, methods are developed to characterize and model the microstructure, by extracting and combining information from transmission electron microscope (TEM) images and nitrogen porosimetry curves, among others. On the other hand, the numerical homogenization relies on full-field Fourier transform computations (FFT).The material is first characterized experimentally by nitrogen porosimetry and pulse-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR). TEM images, obtained on samples of various thicknesses are filtered and measured in terms of correlation function. The high-frequency noise caused by carbon membrane support is identified and integrated in the TEM image model. Based on the 2D TEM images, a two-scale random set model of 3D microstructure is developed. It takes into account the platelet shape, platelet size, local alignments and aggregations effects which are numerically identified. The procedure is validated by comparing the model and experimental images in terms of correlation function and specific surface area estimated by nitrogen porosimetry.Next, a procedure is proposed to simulate porosimetry isotherms in general porous media, including random microstructures. Based on simple morphological operations, it extends an earlier approach of mercury porosimetry. Multilayer adsorption at low pressure is simulated by a dilation operation whereas the menisci of the vapor-liquid interface occurring during adsorption are simulated by closing the solid phase with spherical structuring elements. To simulate desorption, a combination of closing and hole-filling operations is used. The desorption threshold is obtained from a percolation analysis of the gaseous phase. The method, validated first on simple geometries, is compared to previous results of the literature, allowing us to predict the hysteresis and pore size distribution associated to porosimetry. It is applied on 3D microstructures of mesoporous alumina. To account for the pressure threshold during desorption, we propose a refined three-scale model for mesoporous alumina, that reproduces the correlation function and the desorption branch of porosimetry isotherms.Finally, Fick diffusion, Darcy permeability, and elastic moduli are numerically predicted using the FFT method and the two-scale and three-scale models of mesoporous alumina. The hindering effects in diffusion are estimated by the Renkin's equation. The effective diffusion coefficients and the tortuosity factors are estimated from the flux field, taking into account hindering effects. The effects of platelet shape, alignment and aggregation on the diffusion property are studied. The numerical estimation is validated from experimental PFG-NMR results.

This study was conducted to determine how the structure and surface chemistry of bulk CaCO3 differs from that of nanometer-sized CaCO3 and then to determine rate, extent and mechanisms of As adsorption on various synthetic CaCO3 materials. Additionally, we sought to devise a chemical CaCO3 precipitate that approximates biogenic CaCO3. The bulk CaCO3 precipitation was performed by using a solution that was highly oversaturated so that large CaCO3 precipitates rapidly form. Two different methods were employed for the synthesis of nanometer size CaCO3 i) an in situ deposition technique and ii) an interfacial reaction (water in oil emulsion). Mineral characterization of all CaCO3 precipitates was done with Nitrogen Porosimetry (Brunauer Emmett Teller method), particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared/ Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy. The principal objective of the research was to assess the overall reactivity of As(III) and As(V) with different synthetic CaCO3 minerals. This was accomplished by i) running adsorption isotherms (varying As concentration), ii) measuring pH envelopes (varying pH at a fixed concentration) and iii) kinetic experiments (varying reaction time). Also, electrophoretic mobility experiments were performed in the presence of As(III) and As(V), and these studies revealed that As(III) forms stronger inner-sphere complexes with CaCO3 than As(V). Also, it was found that nanometer-sized CaCO3 prepared via deposition formed stronger inner-sphere complexes with As oxyanions (q = 5.26 µmol/m2) compared to either nano-sized CaCO3 from interfacial reactions (q = 4.51 µmol/m2) or bulk CaCO3 (q = 4.39 µmol/m2).<p> The PEG-based nano CaCO3 prepared by an in-situ deposition technique presents a novel and readily available synthesis route that can be used as proxy for the biogenic CaCO3 known to be present in many different environmental conditions. The results of this study suggest that CaCO3 can be used as a sorbent for As in groundwater.

This study was conducted to determine how the structure and surface chemistry of bulk CaCO3 differs from that of nanometer-sized CaCO3 and then to determine rate, extent and mechanisms of As adsorption on various synthetic CaCO3 materials. Additionally, we sought to devise a chemical CaCO3 precipitate that approximates biogenic CaCO3. The bulk CaCO3 precipitation was performed by using a solution that was highly oversaturated so that large CaCO3 precipitates rapidly form. Two different methods were employed for the synthesis of nanometer size CaCO3 i) an in situ deposition technique and ii) an interfacial reaction (water in oil emulsion). Mineral characterization of all CaCO3 precipitates was done with Nitrogen Porosimetry (Brunauer Emmett Teller method), particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared/ Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy. The principal objective of the research was to assess the overall reactivity of As(III) and As(V) with different synthetic CaCO3 minerals. This was accomplished by i) running adsorption isotherms (varying As concentration), ii) measuring pH envelopes (varying pH at a fixed concentration) and iii) kinetic experiments (varying reaction time). Also, electrophoretic mobility experiments were performed in the presence of As(III) and As(V), and these studies revealed that As(III) forms stronger inner-sphere complexes with CaCO3 than As(V). Also, it was found that nanometer-sized CaCO3 prepared via deposition formed stronger inner-sphere complexes with As oxyanions (q = 5.26 µmol/m2) compared to either nano-sized CaCO3 from interfacial reactions (q = 4.51 µmol/m2) or bulk CaCO3 (q = 4.39 µmol/m2).<p> The PEG-based nano CaCO3 prepared by an in-situ deposition technique presents a novel and readily available synthesis route that can be used as proxy for the biogenic CaCO3 known to be present in many different environmental conditions. The results of this study suggest that CaCO3 can be used as a sorbent for As in groundwater.