EPR Spectroscopy of Cu(I)-NO adsorption complexes formed over Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-MCM-22 zeolites

The Cu(I)-NO adsorption complexes were formed over copper exchanged and autoreduced high siliceous Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-MCM-22 zeolites and studied by EPR spectroscopy at X-, Q-, and W-band frequencies. The spin Hamiltonian parameters of the Cu(I)-NO species are indicative of a nitrogen-centered radical complex with a bent geometry and a significant contribution of the Cu(I) 4s atomic orbital to the wave function of the unpaired electron. Two different Cu(I)-NO species were found in both zeolites. It has been confirmed by comparing the experimental data with the results of previous theoretical studies that the presence of two different species is due to the formation of Cu(I)-NO adsorption complexes from two different Cu(I) sites in the zeolite matrix with different numbers of oxygen coligands. The structure of the two sites in the Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-MCM-22 zeolites must be similar as the spin Hamiltonian parameters are found to be almost independent of the zeolite matrix, where the Cu(I)-NO complex is formed. The EPR signal intensity of the Cu(I)-NO species was studied as a function of the NO loading, and the formation of diamagnetic Cu(I)(NO)2 species with rising NO pressure at the expense of paramagnetic Cu(I)-NO monomers could be demonstrated for both systems at low temperatures.