Unusual Relaxation Behavior of Water Inside the Sodalite Cages of Faujasite-Type Molecular Sieves

Abstract

Broad-band dielectric spectroscopy (10-2 to 109 Hz) is applied to investigate the molecular dynamics of NaY, a zeolite of faujasite structure. A dc conductivity contribution and three relaxation processes were revealed in the dielectric spectra. The relaxation process in the high-frequency range ascribed to orientational fluctuations of water molecules inside the sodalite cages is studied in detail. As a main result it is found that its mean relaxation time has an unusual saddle-like temperature dependence, which obeys neither an Arrhenius nor a Vogel−Fulcher−Tammann law. A quantitative description was given on the basis of a model recently developed by Feldman et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 1845) to analyze the dynamics of water confined in nanoporous glasses. Reasonable values for the activation energies of orientational fluctuations and of defect formation as well as for the defect concentration were obtained.