ELECTRON-PARAMAGNETIC-RESONANCE STUDIES OF COPPER ION-EXCHANGED ZSM-5

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was utilized to probe the oxidation state and coordination environment of copper in ion-exchanged CuZSM-5. EPR spectra of hydrated samples were consistent with octahedral coordination. Square-pyramidal and square-planar sites were identified in pretreated CuZSM-5 samples, and the relative concentration of square-pyramidal sites in these samples was linearly correlated with the copper-exchange level. The extent of autoreduction was monitored by EPR and it was determined that a substantial fraction (similar to 40-60%) of the copper was reduced and that the reduction process was reversible in the presence of water. A mechanism for the autoreduction of copper is proposed that is consistent with the EPR results. Further, the reactivity of the proposed copper species was probed in reducing and oxidizing environments and in the presence of nitric oxide. The increase in EPR signal intensity that was observed after room-temperature NO exposure of pretreated and oxidized CuZSM-5 is attributed to the formation of copper nitrite and nitrate species. High-temperature in situ EPR experiments revealed that on the time scale of the EPR experiment, the paramagnetic copper environment did not change at elevated temperatures in the presence of nitric oxide.