CRITICAL GUEST CONCENTRATION AND COMPLETE TUNING PATTERN APPEARING IN THE BINARY CLATHRATE HYDRATES

Previously we have suggested the concept of tuning hydrate compositions which makes it possible to increase the gas storage capacity of binary hydrates. Herein, we report for the first time the existence of a critical guest concentration (CGC) and establish the complete tuning pattern that appears to exist in binary hydrates, including the water-soluble hydrate formers (promoters) and water insoluble guests,. The first attempt to verify the new features of clathrate hydrate compositions is executed on the binary hydrate of CH4 + THF and involves a detailed examination of the guest distribution by spectroscopic methods. THF molecules by themselves form sII hydrate from a completely miscible aqueous solution, and in this structure, because of their size, THF molecules occupy only the large 51264 cages. The CGC value appears to depend largely on the chemical nature of the liquid guest component participating in the binary hydrate formation. The present experimental findings on the existence of critical guest concentration and the complete tuning phenomenon can be expected to make a meaningful contribution to both inclusion chemistry and a variety of hydrate-based fields.Non UBCUnreviewe