Activities and their relation to cation distribution in NiAl2O4MgAl2O4 spinel solid solutions

The activity of NiAl₂O₄ in NiAl₂O₄MgAl₂O₄ solid solutions has been measured by using a solid oxide galvanic cell of the type, Pt, Ni + NiAl₂O₄ + Al₂O₃(α)/CaOZrO₂/Ni + Ni_xMg_1?xAl₂O₄ + Al₂O₃(α). Pt, in the temperature range 750–1150°C. The activities in the spinel solid solutions show negative deviations from Raoult's law. The cation distribution in the solid solutions has been calculated using site preference energies independent of composition for Ni²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Al³⁺ ions obtained from crystal field theory and measured cation disorder in pure NiAl₂O₄ and MgAl₂O₄, and assumi g ideal mixing of cations on the tetrahedral and octahedral positions. The calculated values correctly predict the decrease in the fraction, α, of Ni²⁺ ions on tetrahedral sites for 1>x>0.25, observed by Porta et al. [J. Solid State Chem.11, 135 (1974)] but do not support their tentative evidence for an increase in α for x < 0.25. The measured excess free energy of mixing can be completely accounted for by using either the calculated or the measured cation distributions. This suggests that the Madelung energy is approximately a linear function of composition in the solid solutions. The composition of NiOMgO solid solutions in equilibrium with NiAl₂O₄MgAl₂O₄ solid solutions has been calculated from the results and information available in literature.     

High-pressure transitions in MgAl2O4 and a new high-pressure phase of Mg2Al2O5

Phase transitions in MgAl₂O₄ were examined at 21-27 GPa and 1400-2500 °C using a multianvil apparatus. A mixture of MgO and Al₂O₃ corundum that are high-pressure dissociation products of MgAl₂O₄ spinel combines into calcium-ferrite type MgAl₂O₄ at 26-27 GPa and 1400-2000 °C. At temperature above 2000 °C at pressure below 25.5 GPa, a mixture of Al₂O₃ corundum and a new phase with Mg₂Al₂O₅ composition is stable. The transition boundary between the two fields has a strongly negative pressure-temperature slope. Structure analysis and Rietveld refinement on the basis of the powder X-ray diffraction profile of the Mg₂Al₂O₅ phase indicated that the phase represented a new structure type with orthorhombic symmetry (Pbam), and the lattice parameters were determined as a=9.3710(6) Å, b=12.1952(6) Å, c=2.7916(2) Å, V=319.03(3) Å³, Z=4. The structure consists of edge-sharing and corner-sharing (Mg, Al)O₆ octahedra, and contains chains of edge-sharing octahedra running along the c-axis. A part of Mg atoms are accommodated in six-coordinated trigonal prism sites in tunnels surrounded by the chains of edge-sharing (Mg, Al)O₆ octahedra. The structure is related with that of ludwigite (Mg, Fe²⁺)₂(Fe³⁺, Al)(BO₃)O₂. The molar volume of the Mg₂Al₂O₅ phase is smaller by 0.18% than sum of molar volumes of 2MgO and Al₂O₃ corundum. High-pressure dissociation to the mixture of corundum-type phase and the phase with ludwigite-related structure has been found only in MgAl₂O₄ among various A²⁺B³⁺₂O₄ compounds.     

Synthesis, characterization, photoluminescence and EPR investigations of Mn doped MgAl2O4 phosphors

MgAl₂O₄:Mn phosphors have been prepared at 500 °C by combustion route. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated the presence of mono-MgAl₂O₄ phase. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the powder particle crystallites are mostly angular. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of AlO₆ group which makes up the MgAl₂O₄ spinel. Photoluminescence studies showed green/red emission indicating that two independent luminescence channels in this phosphor. The green emission at 518 nm is due to ⁴T₁ → ⁶A₁ transition of Mn²⁺ ions. The emission at 650 nm is due to the charge-transfer deexcitation associated with the Mn ion. EPR spectrum exhibits allowed and forbidden hyperfine structure at g=2.003. The g≈2.00 is due to Mn²⁺ ion in an environment close to tetrahedral symmetry. It is observed that N and χ increase with decrease of temperature obeying the Boltzmann law. The variation of zero-field splitting parameter (D) with temperature is evaluated and discussed.     

Improvement of stability of out-layer MgAl2O4 spinel for a Ni/MgAl2O4/Al2O3 catalyst in dry reforming of methane

Summary The stability of Ni/-Al₂O₃ catalyst in dry reforming of methane was found to be improved by the addition of MgO into the catalyst, probably due to the formation of out-layer MgAl₂O₄ spinels, which can effectively suppress the phase transformation to form NiAl₂O₄ spinel phases, stabilize the tiny Ni crystallites and suppress carbon deposition in dry reforming of methane.     

Ru/Ni/MgAl<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> catalysts for steam reforming of methane: effects of Ru content on self-activation property

The effects of Ru on the self-reducibility of Ru-doped Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts, which do not need pre-reduction treatment with H₂, were investigated in the steam reforming of methane (SRM). The Ru-promoted Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts with various amounts of Ru (0–0.5 wt%) were prepared by stepwise impregnation and co-impregnation methods using hydrotalcite-like MgAl₂O₄ support. For comparison, Ru/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts with the same amount of Ru were also prepared by the impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by the N₂-sorption, XRD, H₂-TPR, H₂-chemisorption, and XPS methods. Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalyst in the presence of even the trace amount of Ru (Ru content ≥0.05 wt%) showed higher conversion without pre-reduction as compared to Ru/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts in SRM under the same conditions. The self-activation of Ru–Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts is mainly attributed to the spillover of hydrogen, which is produced on Ru at first and then reduces NiO species under reaction conditions. Besides, Ru doping makes the reduction of NiO easier. The stepwise impregnated Ru/Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalyst produced superior performance as compared to co-impregnated Ru–Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalyst for SRM.     

Defect processes in MgAl2O4 spinel

In perfect normal MgAl₂O₄ spinel the Mg²⁺ ions occupy tetrahedral 8a sites and Al³⁺ ions occupy octahedral 16d sites. In reality some cations are exchanged between the cation sublattices forming pairs of antisite defects and thus a degree of “inversion”. Here atomic simulation is used to investigate the influence that antisite defects have on the populations of other intrinsic defects, those associated with Schottky and Frenkel reactions. One consequence is that the total magnesium interstitial concentration is increased substantially over the aluminium interstitial concentration and the magnesium vacancy concentration is increased over the aluminium vacancy concentration but to a much smaller extent. The split structures of isolated interstitial defects and the stability of various defect clusters are also discussed.     

Combustion of methane over supported palladium-copper bimetallic catalysts

Monometallic and bimetallic catalysts based on palladium and copper deposited on a spinel carrier have been investigated in the catalytic combustion of methane. Great differences were found in catalytic activity, according to the sequence Pd/MgAl₂O₄>CuO–Pd/MgAl₂O₄>Pd–CuO/MgAl₂O₄>CuO/MgAl₂O₄. They were explained by changes in surface composition of the catalysts. In the case of bimetallic catalysts the metallic surface is preferentially enriched in copper, which acts as a diluting agent for the Pd atom ensembles. As a consequence, the adsorption of reactants is limited and the catalysts so obtained behave like copper slightly doped with palladium.     

Synthesis of MgAl2O4 Spinel Nanometer Powder via Biology Polysaccharide Assisted Sol-Gel Process

A novel and cost-effective sol-gel process for preparation of MgAl₂O₄ spinel nanometer powders has been developed in this study. A solution of magnesium and aluminum nitrates in stoichiometric proportion was successfully embraced in the biology polysaccharide gel network, formed by the synergistic interaction between xanthan gum (XG) and locust bean gum (LBG) utilizing their broad-spectrum stability of salt tolerance and character of transformation from sol to gel on the condition of proper temperature and relative proportion of polymeric components. Dry gel could be obtained by vacuum dehydration of aqueous gel at low temperatures. Monolithic MgAl₂O₄ spinel nanometer powders were produced by calcining the dry gel above 800°C, with average crystallite size of 20 nanometers.     

The Al-Rich Part of the System CaO-Al2O3-MgO: PART II. Structure Refinement of Two New Magnetoplumbite-Related Phases

Crystals of two new phases, which were recently found in the system CaO-Al₂O₃-MgO lying on the join connecting calcium hexaaluminate (CaAl₁₂O₁₉) of the magnetoplumbite structure and spinel (MgAl₂O₄), were grown by the floating zone method. The stoìchìometrìc formulas for these two phases can be given as Ca₂Mg₂Al₂₈O₄₆ (CAM-I) and CaMg₂Al₁₆O₂₇ (CAM-II). On the basis of the stacking sequence revealed by high-resolution electron microscopy, the structure models were made, and further, the structure refinement was conducted by using single crystal X-ray diffraction data. It was shown that both phases have magnetoplumbite-related structures composed of two types of structure units, M(CaAl₁₂O₁₉; magnetoplumbite unit) and S (Mg₂Al₄O₈; spinel unit), and that the stacking sequences are (M₂S)_n for CAM-I (c = 79.810 Å) and (MS)_n for CAM-II (c = 31.288 Å). In the terminology of hexagonal ferrite structure system, CAM-I is of the "X-type structure" with space group R m and CAM-II is of the "W-type structure" with P m 2 symmetry.     

Chemical Synthesis and Properties of Spinel Li1−xCo2O4−δ

Spinel Li_1−xCo₂O_4−δ samples with 0.44≤(1−x)≤1 have been synthesized by chemically extracting lithium with the oxidizer NO₂BF₄ in acetonitrile medium from the LT-LiCoO₂ synthesized at 400°C. Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction data reveals that the Li_1−xCo₂O_4−δ samples adopt the normal cubic spinel structure with a cation distribution of (Li_1−x)_8a[Co₂]_16dO_4−δ. Redox iodometric titration data indicate that the LT-LiCoO₂ tends to lose oxygen on extracting lithium and the spinel Li_1−xCo₂O_4−δ samples are oxygen-deficient. Both infrared spectroscopic and magnetic susceptibility data suggest that the LiCo₂O_4−δ spinel is metallic with itinerant electrons. The tendency to lose oxygen on extracting lithium from the LT-LiCoO₂ and the observed metallic behavior of the spinel LiCo₂O_4−δ are explained on the basis of a qualitative band diagram.     

Synthesis and characterization of NixMg1−xAl2O4 nano ceramic pigments via a combustion route

MgAl₂O₄ was successfully used as a crystalline host network for the synthesis of nickel-based nano cyan refractory ceramic pigments. Different compositions of Ni_xMg_1−xAl₂O₄ (0.1 ? x ? 0.8) powders have been prepared by using a low temperature combustion reaction (LTCR) of the corresponding metal nitrates with urea (U) as a fuel at 300 °C in an open air furnace. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by thermal analysis (TG-DTG/DTA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-Vis and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) using CIE- L^∗a^∗b^∗ parameters methods have been used for color measurements. The results show that the Ni_xMg_1−xAl₂O₄ samples are the crystalline phase with a particle size of 8.85-43.66 nm in the temperature range 500-1200 °C. The density, particle size, shape and color are determined for all the prepared samples with different calcination times and temperatures.     

Relationship between the basicity, De-SO2 activity and reductivity of sulfate in Mg?Al?Fe?O mixed spinel catalyst

Effects of Al³⁺ ions being partially substituted by Fe³⁺ ions in the magnesium-alumina spinel structure on the activity of SO₂ oxidative adsorption and the reductive decomposition of sulfate have been studied. Both the number of the basic centers and the strength of basicity were altered when Fe³⁺ ion was introduced into the MgAl₂O₄ structure, which resulted in the simultaneous improvement of the activity of SO₂ oxidative adsorption and the reductivity of sulfate.     

Synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic properties of Mg1−xZnxAl2O4 spinel nanoparticles

Mg_1−xZn_xAl₂O₄ spinel nanoparticles with x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 were prepared via the chemical coprecipitation method. The obtained samples were characterised by thermal gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectrum, transmission electron microscopy and ²⁷Al MAS-NMR spectroscopy. Mg_1−xZn_xAl₂O₄ spinel powders with the mean crystallite size of around 11 nm–14 nm were obtained. The crystallinity of the MgAl₂O₄ samples increases with the increase in the calcination temperature. At the same calcination temperature, higher amount of Zn²⁺ substitution leads to the higher level of crystallinity, but has no apparent influence on the mean crystallite size of the samples. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained Mg_1−xZn_xAl₂O₄ spinel nanoparticles was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methylene blue under UV light. The degradation rates of methylene blue using the MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles prepared at the calcination temperatures of 700 °C and 800 °C are much higher than those prepared at 900 °C and 1000 °C. The photocatalytic activities of the spinel powders with lower level of Zn²⁺ substitution such as Mg_0.95Zn_0.05Al₂O₄ are inferior to that of MgAl₂O₄. Results of ²⁷Al MAS-NMR spectroscopy analysis and the first principle total density of state calculations reveal that this is probably due to the substitutions of Zn²⁺ decreasing the degree of Al³⁺ ions inversion over the sites of tetrahedral and octahedral coordination. With the increase in the amounts of Zn²⁺ substitution, the effects of Zn²⁺ additions on the photocatalytic activities become gradually predominant, leading to the increases in the degradation rates. The methylene blue degraded by 99% within 4 h using the Mg_0.8Zn_0.2Al₂O₄ spinel powders.     

Thermal decomposition of hydrotalcite with chromate, molybdate or sulphate in the interlayer

The thermal decomposition of hydrotalcites with chromate, molybdate and sulphate in the interlayer has been studied using thermogravimetric analysis coupled to a mass spectrometer measuring the gas evolution. X-ray diffraction shows the hydrotalcites have a d(0 0 3) spacing of 7.98 Å with very small differences in the d-spacing between the three hydrotalcites. XRD was also used to determine the products of the thermal decomposition. For the sulphate-hydrotalcite decomposition the products were MgO and a spinel MgAl₂O₄, for the chromate interlayered hydrotalcite MgO, Cr₂O₃ and spinel. For the molybdate interlayered hydrotalcite the products were MgO, spinel and MgMoO₄. EDX analyses enabled the formula of the hydrotalcites to be determined. Two processes are observed in the thermal decomposition namely dehydration and dehydroxylation and for the case of the sulphate interlayered hydrotalcite, a third process is the loss of sulphate. Both the dehydration and dehydroxylation take place in three steps each for each of the hydrotalcites.     

High-Pressure Raman Spectroscopic Study of Spinel (ZnCr2O4)

An in situ Raman spectroscopic study was conducted to investigate the pressure-induced phase transformation in the synthetic ZnCr₂O₄ spinel up to pressures of 70 GPa at room temperature. Results indicate that ZnCr₂O₄ spinel starts to transform to the CaFe₂O₄ (or CaTi₂O₄) structure at 17.5GPa, and such a phase transformation is complete at 35 GPa. The coexistence of two phases over a wide range of pressure implies a sluggish mechanism upon phase transformation. No experimental evidence was observed to support the theoretical simulation with the dissociation of ZnCr₂O₄ to ZnO and Cr₂O₃ at 34 GPa. Moreover, enhancement of the intensity of the Raman peak at 642 cm⁻¹ at either elevated pressures or temperatures is most likely caused by an enhanced order-disorder effect. Upon release of pressure, the recovered phase may exhibit an inverse spinel structure, which differs from the initial normal spinel structure.     

Ge4+、Sn4+掺杂尖晶石LiMn2O4的合成与电化学表征

使用Ge⁴⁺、Sn⁴⁺作为掺杂离子, 通过高温固相法制备四价阳离子掺杂改性的尖晶石LiMn₂O₄材料. X射线衍射(XRD)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析表明, Ge⁴⁺离子取代尖晶石中Mn⁴⁺离子形成了LiMn_2-xGe_xO₄ (x=0.02,0.04, 0.06)固溶体; 而Sn⁴⁺离子则以SnO₂的形式存在于尖晶石LiMn₂O₄的颗粒表面. Ge⁴⁺离子掺入到尖晶石LiMn₂O₄材料中, 抑制了锂离子在尖晶石中的有序化排列, 提高了尖晶石LiMn₂O₄的结构稳定性; 而在尖晶石颗粒表面的SnO₂可以减少电解液中酸的含量, 抑制酸对LiMn₂O₄活性材料的侵蚀. 恒电流充放电测试表明, 两种离子改性后材料的容量保持率均有较大幅度的提升, 有利于促进尖晶石型LiMn₂O₄锂离子电池正极材料的商业化生产.     

Disproportionation of stoichiometric LiMn2O4 on annealing in oxygen

The evolution of stoichiometric LiMn₂O₄ upon annealing under oxygen pressures in the range 0.2-5 atm at moderate temperature (450°C) was studied with a combination of thermogravimetry, X-ray and neutron diffraction. It is shown that such treatments result in a slight, but significant mass increase. Structural analyses show that the resulting spinel is a manganese-deficient spinel phase with lower cell parameter and higher manganese valence, and that the expelled manganese forms Mn₂O₃. The presence of this second phase, which was not identified in a recent study of oxygen annealing on this compound (Nakamura and Kajiyama, Solid State Ionics 133 (2000) 195), is compatible with the initial stoichiometry and does not require any oxygen vacancies in the initial LiMn₂O₄, as supposed earlier. The most likely formula of the resulting lithium-rich spinel with increased manganese valence is Li(Mn_2−ε□_ε)O₄ with ε in the range 0.02-0.03 at 5 atm O₂.     

Nanosized LiMn2O4 from mechanically activated solid-state synthesis

The synthesis of pure and Cr-doped nanosized LiMn₂O₄ particles has been carried out by solid-state process on high-energy ground mixtures. In situ X-ray analysis demonstrates the spinel forms as single phase at 623 K passing through the Mn₃O₄ precursor at temperatures as low as 573 K. In the doped high-energy ground mixture Li-rich spinel phase forms at 623 K and Cr ions insert in the spinel octahedral site only at 723 K.A mean particle size value of 60 Å, quite independent of the reaction time, is obtained for T<673 K. For higher temperature the growing of the particles as a function of time is observed, independent of doping. The mechanical grinding seems to be the most suitable way to obtain impurity-free spinel phases at lower temperature and with smaller particle size with respect to manually ground mixtures by solid-state reaction and via sol-gel synthesis.     

The role of orbital ordering in the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition in CuCr2O4

Copper(II) chromite (CuCr₂O₄) undergoes a first-order structural transition from a tetragonal distorted spinel structure in space group (I4₁/amd) to a cubic spinel structure in Fd3¯m, near 600 °C. The transition has been followed using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction between room temperature and 750 °C. The structure changes as a consequence of a transition from an orbitally ordered to orbital disordered state associated with a Jahn-Teller-type distortion of the CuO₄ tetrahedron. The orbital melting results in a small increase in cell volume.