In situ measurement of molecular diffusion during catalytic reaction by pulsed-field gradient NMR spectroscopy

Pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR spectroscopy is applied to study the intracrystalline diffusivity of the reactant and product molecules during the conversion of cyclopropane to propene in Zeolite X. The diffusivities are found to be large enough that any influence of intracrystalline diffusion on the overall reaction in flow reactors may be excluded.