Entropy driven separation of xylene isomers on graphitic carbon adsorbents

Separation of xylene isomers remains one of the most important and challenging applications of adsorption-based separations in petrochemical industry. Despite the sustainable success of zeolite-based separations a search for efficient adsorbents selective for xylenes, especially para-xylene, is constantly ongoing. In this work, a potentially scalable chromatographic separation of all three xylenes was achieved on graphitic carbon sorbents, including a self-packed sorbent based on an oligo-graphene. A curious feature of this separation is stronger retention of para-xylene than meta- and, in some conditions, even than ortho-xylene. Noticeably, separation selectivity between para- and meta-isomers does not depend on temperature. Apparently, lower entropy of para-xylene in solution due to its higher molecular symmetry leads to a lesser adsorption entropy loss, which makes its adsorption statistically more likely. The concept of using carbon adsorbents for entropy driven chromatography separations may be useful for the isolation of xylenes from their mixture and, possibly, for other positional isomers separation.

Evolution of electronic and vibronic transitions in metal(II) meso-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrins

The changing of the electronic and vibronic states due to the insertion of Zn(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) or Co(II) ions in the meso-tetrakis(4-pyridyl)porphyrin ring center is investigated. The combination of absorption, photoluminescence, Raman and infrared spectroscopies with second-derivative-based spectral deconvolution analysis reveals that the structuration of both B- and Q-bands is very sensitive to the decorating ion. Similar to free base porphyrins, metal(II) meso-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrins also present their Q-band constituted of multiple electronic transitions, where the central ion plays an important role in the selection of vibration modes that mediate the vibronic transitions. Our novel results will expand and reinterpret current assignments for metal(II) meso-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrins vibrational modes available in the literature.

Automatic procedure for generating symmetry adapted wavefunctions

Automatic detection of point groups as well as symmetrisation of molecular geometry and wavefunctions are useful tools in computational quantum chemistry. Algorithms for developing these tools as well as an implementation are presented. The symmetry detection algorithm is a clustering algorithm for symmetry invariant properties, combined with logical deduction of possible symmetry elements using the geometry of sets of symmetrically equivalent atoms. An algorithm for determining the symmetry adapted linear combinations (SALCs) of atomic orbitals is also presented. The SALCs are constructed with the use of projection operators for the irreducible representations, as well as subgroups for determining splitting fields for a canonical basis. The character tables for the point groups are auto generated, and the algorithm is described. Symmetrisation of molecules use a projection into the totally symmetric space, whereas for wavefunctions projection as well and partner function determination and averaging is used. The software has been released as a stand-alone, open source library under the MIT license and integrated into both computational and molecular modelling software.Graphical abstract