Impact of the carbon pore size and topology on the equilibrium quantum sieving of hydrogen isotopes at zero coverage and finite pressures

Carbonaceous slit-shaped and square-shaped pores efficiently differentiate adsorbed hydrogen isotopes at 77 and 33 K. Extensive path integral Monte Carlo simulations revealed that the square-shaped carbon pores enhanced the selectivity of deuterium over hydrogen in comparison to equivalent slit-shaped carbon pores at zero coverage as well as at finite pressures (i.e. quantum sieving of hydrogen isotopes is pore-topology-dependent). We show that this enhancement of the D-2/H-2 equilibrium selectivity results from larger localization of hydrogen isotopes in square-shaped pores. The operating pressures for efficient quantum sieving of hydrogen isotopes are strongly dependent on the topology as well as on the size of the carbon pores. However, for both considered carbon pore topologies the highest D-2/H-2 separation factor is observed at zero-coverage limit. Depending on carbon pore size and topology we predicted monotonic decreasing and non-monotonic shape of the D-2/H-2 equilibrium selectivity at finite pressures. For both kinds of carbonaceous pores of molecular sizes we predict high compression of hydrogen isotopes at 77 and 33 K (for example, the pore density of compressed hydrogen isotopes at 77 K and 0.25 MPa in a square-shaped carbon pore of size 2.6 angstrom exceeds 60 mmol cm(-3); for comparison, the liquid density of para-H-2 at 30 K and 30 MPa is 42 mmol cm(-3)). Finally, by direct comparison of simulation results with experimental data it is explained why 'ordinary' carbonaceous materials are not efficient quantum sieves.