Interaction with olefins of the partially polarized surface of silver nanoparticles activated by p-benzoquinone and its implications for facilitated olefin transport

A new application of metallic silver nanoparticles as a novel olefin carrier for facilitated olefin transport in solid-state membranes. The surfaces of silver nanoparticles were chemically activated using p-benzoquinone (p-BQ), which is a known electron acceptor. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of about 70 nm were recorded by using a diffractometer using Cu Ku radiation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to observe the change of the chemical environment around the silver nanoparticles. The complexation of propylene with the surface of the silver nanoparticles was investigated using FTIR spectroscopy. Quantum mechanical ab initio calculations were conducted in order to confirm the possible theoretical interactions between the surface of the silver nanoparticles and the olefin molecules.