Adsorption Studies on Carbon Nanotubes Using NMR Spectroscopy

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The Advanced Materials Program in the Division of Chemistry and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research in the Office of EPSCoR make this award to New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. With the award, Professor Tanja Pietrass will study the adsorption of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrous oxide and ammonia by carbon nanotubes using in situ solid-state NMR spectroscopy, exploiting the full complement of dipolar and quadrupolar coupling studies, chemical shifts and relaxation time measurements. Gas dynamics will be probed using two-dimensional exchange spectroscopy under variable temperature and gas density conditions. Results from these studies will be beneficial to understand the storage capacity, electronic structure and binding kinetics of different gases by carbon nanotubes. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology has a large underrepresented minority student body, mainly Hispanics and Native Americans, and this award will help in their research training and education. Absorption kinetics of different gases by carbon nanotubes will be studied using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, exploiting the full complement of dipolar and quadrupolar coupling studies, chemical shifts and relaxation time measurements. These studies will provide fundamental information about storage capacity, electronic structure and binding kinetics of carbon nanotubes. Results from this research could find applications in gas storage, e.g. hydrogen gas for fuel cells, gas separations, and as gas sensor materials. In addition, the research program will provide multidisciplinary education and training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students in material and surface chemistries, and large number of under represented minorities attending the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology will benefit from these research activities.