Harikrishnan Ramanan and Scott M. Auerbach, ``Modeling Jump Diffusion in Zeolites: I. Principles and Methods,'' in NATO-ASI Series C: Fluid Transport in Nanopores, edited by J. Fraissard and W.C. Conner, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, in press (2004).

Abstract

We review the macroscopic variables relevant to single-component mass transfer through fixed zeolite particles or membranes. Through the Fick and Maxwell-Stefan formulations of diffusion, we relate these variables to transport coefficients calculable with molecular simulations. Using the Fick formulation, we discuss the diffusion-controlled and desorption-controlled limits of mass transfer. Through the well-known relation between the Fickian and Maxwell-Stefan diffusivities, we discuss expected temperature and loading dependencies in the limits of fluid-like and jump-like intrazeolite diffusion. We then review the statistical mechanical foundations of self-diffusion and Fickian- or transport-diffusion in terms of mean-square displacements. We outline how self-diffusion is influenced by kinetic correlations, geometrical correlations, vacancy correlations, single-file motion and disorder. For host-guest systems where guest motion is dominated by rare site-to-site jumps, we outline the use of transition state theory and kinetic Monte Carlo for constructing diffusion coefficients. We emphasize the particular difficulty in treating the competition between host-guest and guest-guest interactions when modeling rare event dynamics in zeolites.

Prof SM Auerbach
11 Feb 2004