Influence of ZrO<Subscript>5</Subscript> treatment temperature on the interaction with titanium tetrachloride

The data on phase and chemical transformations of nanosized zirconium dioxide upon annealing at 25–1300°С are presented. The in situ interaction of titanium tetrachloride with nanosized zirconia annealed at 200–800°С has been studied. The revealed regularities of the change of titanium content and the Cl/Ti ratio in the chemisorbed groups have confirmed that TiCl₄ predominantly reacts with zirconia treated at up to 400°С via the hydroxyl groups to yield the TiCl_4–n fragments. In the case of zirconia treated at higher temperature, the interaction with TiCl₄ involves the coordination-unsaturated Zr⁺ and Zr–O^– centers as well.     

Synthesis of nanosized group IV borides in ionic melts of anhydrous sodium tetraborate

The preparation of nanosized Group IV metal diborides by reacting powdery titanium, zirconium, and hafnium with fine-grained boron in Na₂B₄O₇ ionic melts in the temperature range 600–850°C has been studied. Nanosized titanium, zirconium, and hafnium diborides are formed at temperatures of at least 750°C.     

A New Method of Synthesis of Nanosized Boehmite (AlOOH) Powders with a Low Impurity Content

A new method of synthesis of nanosized aluminum oxyhydroxide (AlOOH, boehmite) powders has been suggested through a hydrothermal treatment of nanosized γ-Al₂O₃ powder in water and a 1.5 wt % HCl solution at different temperatures. It has been found that hydrothermal treatment in a 1.5 wt % HCl solution leads to the purification of the starting material; different treatment durations allow one to obtain boehmite particles of different shape. It has been demonstrated that a nanosized boehmite powder is obtained upon the hydrothermal treatment of a nanosized γ-Al₂O₃ in water above 80°С. The nanosized boehmite powders synthesized at different temperatures have been studied by various methods.     

Translational energy release and stereochemistry of steroids. XI—Determination of the configuration of α,β-unsaturated 3-keto steroid alcohols with the hydroxyl group in rings C and D

The elimination of water from metastable molecular ions of epimeric hydroxy steroids of the Δ⁴-3-keto series containing a hydroxyl group in the conformationally rigid rings C and D has been studied. The measurement of translational energy released during the loss of water and collision-induced decomposition (CID) mass-analysed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry were the techniques used. It was found that it is possible to determine the configuration of the hydroxy steroids of this series on the basis of the CID MIKE spectra of [M ? H₂O]^+˙ ions formed by dehydration of metastable molecular ions in the first field-free region of a reversed geometry double-focusing mass spectrometer.     

Radiation-Induced Heterogeneous Processes of Water Decomposition in the Presence of Mixtures of Silica and Zirconia Nanoparticles

The radiation-induced heterogeneous processes of water decomposition on mixtures of silicon dioxide (n-SiO₂) and zirconium dioxide (n-ZrO₂) nanoparticles have been studied. The kinetics of buildup of molecular hydrogen in the radiolytic processes of water decomposition in the test systems has been examined. The reaction rates and the radiation-chemical yield of hydrogen in the radiolysis of water in the presence of n-SiO₂–n-ZrO₂ mixtures with different ratios between the components have been determined. It has been found that the rates and radiation-chemical yields decreased on going from n-ZrO₂ to n-SiO₂. The individual components (n-SiO₂ and n-ZrO₂) and the mixtures of n-SiO₂–n-ZrO₂ and n-SiO₂–n-ZrO₂ + H₂O before and after γ-irradiation have been examined by Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy in order to reveal interactions between the components and to study the mechanism of radiolytic processes. It has been found that the adsorption of water in the test systems occurs via both molecular and dissociative mechanisms. It has been shown that there is no noticeable interaction between the components of the oxide nanoparticles under the conditions of the experiments.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of yttria stabilized ZrO2 nanoparticles in subcritical and supercritical water using a flow reaction system

Yttria stabilized zirconia nanoparticles have been prepared by hydrothermal flow reaction system under subcritical and supercritical conditions. ZrO(NO₃)₂/Y(NO₃)₃ mixed solutions were used as starting materials. Reaction temperature was 300–400 °C. Reaction time was adjusted to 0.17–0.35 s. Based on the residual Zr and Y concentrations, the complete conversion of zirconium was achieved irrespective of pH and hydrothermal temperature, whereas the conversion of yttrium increased with an increase in pH and hydrothermal temperature. Stoichiometric solid solution was achieved at pH>8. XRD results revealed that tetragonal zirconia can be formed regardless of yttrium content, where the tetragonality was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The average particle size estimated from BET surface area was around 4–6 nm. Dynamic light scattering particle size increased with the solution pH owing to the aggregation of primary particles. TG-DTA analyses revealed that weight losses for adsorbed water and hydroxyl groups decreased with hydrothermal temperature.     

Évolution thermique d'un hydroxyde de nickel lamellaire mal organisé avec des molécules d'eau en insertion entre les feuillets: comparaison avec l'hydroxyde de nickel cristallisé Ni(oH)2

The authors have studied the thermal decomposition of a turbostratic nickel hydroxide by means of DTA, TGA and isothermal analysis. The turbostratic compound has been described as a random stacking of parallel and equidistant nickel hydroxide layers with intercalary water layers.Well crystallized Ni(OH)₂ has been used as reference. The preparation and the main properties of both hydroxides have been indicated. It was found that the removal of intercalary water takes place simultaneously with the removal of hydroxyl groups at a temperature, not very different from the dehydration temperature of Ni(OH)₂. NO₃^? ions from the starting material and trapped water have been found on the dehydration product. The very fine nickel oxide shows a quite important increase of the lattice parameter (4.215 instead of 4.177 Å). A reversible variation of the inter-layer spacing from 8.5 to 7Å has been pointed out when the turbostratic hydroxide is heated up to 150°C.     

Gamma-radiolysis of solid zirconium nitrate and its binary mixtures with potassium halides

Gamma-radiolytic decomposition of zirconium nitrate and its binary mixtures with potassium halides viz. KCl, KBr and KI has been studied at different compositions up to an absorbed dose of 550 kGy. Radiolytic decomposition has been found to decrease with the absorbed dose. It also varies with the concentration of zirconium nitrate in the binary mixtures. G(NO ₂ ^– ) values are enhanced by the addition of halides but only at 75% composition. It is not affected so significantly by KI. A plot of G(NO ₂ ^– ) vs. composition of the binary mixtures of the nitrates shows a somewhat parabolic curve with a minimum at 75% Zr(NO₃)₄+25% KX composition. A part of the energy absorbed by the system is being taken up by the halides depending upon their nature and concentration. Thermal decomposition shows slow decomposition, finally yielding an oxynitrate of indefinite composition.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Mixed Oxide Compositions of Cobalt-Zirconium and their Catalytic Activity in the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide

The article presents the results of research on the hydrothermal synthesis of nanoscale oxide of cobalt and zirconium and their mixed oxide compositions. The synthesized samples have been characterized by the X-ray phase, scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption methods; the composition of the samples has been determined by chemical analysis methods, and their catalytic activity in the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide has been studied. It has been shown that during synthesis, highly dispersed cobalt and zirconium oxide are formed, and the sample of the composition (mol %): Co₃O₄(88)−ZrO₂(12) has the highest specific surface area (181.2 m²/g) and the highest activity (K=6.18 ⋅ 10⁻² s⁻¹) against the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The increasing of the ZrO₂ content in oxide compositions reduces their catalytic activity. The particle size in the synthesized samples is 7–38 nm.     

Radiolysis of acid water (0.4 M H2SO4) at elevated temperatures with fast neutrons and proton beam

To elucidate the G-values of water decomposition products at elevated temperatures up to 270°C, radiolysis of acid water, 0.4 M H₂SO₄, has been carried out with fast neutrons in a reactor by a combination of the Fricke, cerium and bichromate dosimeters. At room temperature, the radical yield is smaller and the molecular yield is larger than those established in γ-radiolysis and net water decomposition is smaller. With increasing temperature, the ratio of the radical to molecular yields becomes similar to that in γ-radiolysis at room temperature. In order to check the above evaluation, proton beam radiolysis was also conducted at elevated temperatures as a model experiment. Although the temperature range was limited between room temperature and 80°C, the proton beam experiment confirms the evaluation obtained in the fast neutron radiolysis.     

Thermal studies on Zirconium hydroxide gel formed by aqueous gelation

Zirconium hydroxide gel has been prepared by a novel aqueous gelation process by the controlled hydrolysis of zirconium oxychloride in the presence of sodium acetate. The gel thus formed has been subjected to thermal analysis: TG, DTG, and DSC. Thermal analysis shows that the gel is continuously dehydrated in the temperature range between room temperature and 500?°C. The total mass loss relative to the initial mass is about 44.1%. Thermal analysis shows that the decomposition takes place in three stages. The gel contains absorbed and coordinated water. In the second stage of dehydration, dehydration of the Zr(OH)₄ gel also takes place along with the removal of the coordinated water. The DSC analysis coupled with TG and structural information, indicate that the exothermic processes between 349 and 460?°C can be attributed to the nucleation process of the formation of tetragonal zirconia, with phase transformation at 460?°C.     

Effect of temperature on the structural characteristics of zirconium dioxide nanoparticles produced under conditions of microwave treatment

The effect of the sintering temperature on the structural characteristics of nanosized zirconium dioxide particles treated by microwave radiation during the drying process was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering and the BET method. It was shown that the specific surface area, particle size, polydispersivity index, and surface and mass fractal dimensionality of zirconium dioxide depend on its heat treatment conditions. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 138–143, May–June, 2008.     

Determination of the specific interaction of disubstituted aromatic compounds on hydrous zirconium oxide-loaded porous polymer resin

Summary A porous polymer resin loaded with hydrous zirconium oxide (Zr-gel) was evaluated as a stationary phase for the liquid chromatographic separation of disubstituted aromatic compounds. The prepared Zr-gel was used to separate disubstituted phenols andortho-substituted benzoic acid derivatives in reversed-phase mode. The retention time of catechol was greater than those of other disubstituted phenols; this implies that the Zr-gel has specificity for the phenolic hydroxyl group. The retention behavior ofortho-substituted benzoic acid derivatives on the Zr-gel was also evaluated in reversedphase mode using buffer. Phthalic acid was specifically retained in the vicinity of pH 6.0, which has been regarded as the equal adsorbic point. Similar behavior was also observed for salicylic acid, although the retention time of salicylic acid was less than that of phthalic acid. It seems that the specific retention behavior of hydrous zirconium oxide is a result of complexation with ligands such as hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. The results of this study have revealed that the retention mechanism of hydrous zirconium oxide is a combination of ion exchange and interaction based on complexation with ligands.     

Effect of ZrC Nanopowders on Enhancing the Hydro/Dehydrogenation Kinetics of MgH2 Powders

Hydrogen has been receiving great attention as an energy carrier for potential green energy applications. Hydrogen storage is one of the most crucial factors controlling the hydrogen economy and its future applications. Amongst the several options of hydrogen storage, light metal hydrides, particularly nanocrystalline magnesium hydride (MgH₂), possess attractive properties, making them desired hydrogen storage materials. The present study aimed to improve the hydrogen storage properties of MgH₂ upon doping with different concentrations of zirconium carbide (ZrC) nanopowders. Both MgH₂ and ZrC were prepared using reactive ball milling and high-energy ball milling techniques, respectively. The as-prepared MgH₂ powder was doped with ZrC (2, 5, and 7 wt%) and then high-energy-ball-milled for 25 h. During the ball milling process, ZrC powders acted as micro-milling media to reduce the MgH₂ particle size to a minimal value that could not be obtained without ZrC. The as-milled nanocomposite MgH₂/ZrC powders consisted of fine particles (~0.25 μm) with a nanosized grain structure of less than 7 nm. Besides, the ZrC agent led to the lowering of the decomposition temperature of MgH₂ to 287 °C and the reduction in its apparent activation energy of desorption to 69 kJ/mol. Moreover, the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics of the nanocomposite MgH₂/ZrC system revealed a significant improvement, as indicated by the low temperature and short time required to achieve successful uptake and release processes. This system possessed a high capability to tackle a long continuous cycle lifetime (1400 h) at low temperatures (225 °C) without showing serious degradation in its storage capacity.     

Dynamics of surface water in ZrO2 studied by quasielastic neutron scattering

A quasielastic neutron scattering experiment has revealed the dynamics of surface water in a high surface area zirconium oxide in the temperature range of 300-360 K. The characteristic times of the rotational (picoseconds) and translational (tens of picoseconds) components of diffusion motion are well separated. The rotational correlation time shows an Arrhenius-type behavior with an activation energy of 4.48 kJ/mol, which is lower compared to bulk water. The rotational diffusion at room temperature is slower by about a factor of 2 compared to bulk water, whereas the translational diffusion slows down by a factor of 40. In contrast to bulk water, the translational correlation time exhibits an Arrhenius-type temperature dependence with an activation energy of 11.38 kJ/mol. Comparison of different models for jump diffusion processes suggests that water molecules perform two-dimensional jumps at a well-defined, almost temperature-independent distance of 4.21-4.32 A. Such a large jump distance indicates a low molecular density of the layer of diffusing molecules. We argue that undissociated water molecules on an average form two hydrations layers on top of the surface layer of hydroxyl groups, and all the layers have similar molecular density. Quasielastic neutron scattering experiment assesses the dynamics of the outermost hydration layer, whereas slower motion of the water molecules in the inner hydration layer contributes to the elastic signal.     

Formation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and KTiOPO<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoclusters on the (001) surface of KTiOPO<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystal upon annealing

Morphology and crystallographic characteristics of (001) KTiOPO₄ air-annealed surface were investigated. The autoepitaxy of nanosized KTiOPO₄ islands was revealed in samples annealed at 550°C for 2–20 h. When annealing at 650°C takes ～20 h, the TiO₂ particles are observed to form on the substrate surface. This indicates the onset of the thermal decomposition of KTP at this temperature.     

Synthesis of lithium ferrite by precursor and combustion methods: A comparative study

The thermal decomposition of lithium hexa(carboxylato)ferrate(III) precursors, (Li₃[Fe(L)₆]·xH₂O, L = formate, acetate, propionate, butyrate), has been carried out in flowing air atmosphere from ambient temperature upto 500 °C. Various physico-chemical techniques, i.e., TG, DTG, DTA, XRD, SEM, IR, Mössbauer spectroscopy, etc., have been employed to characterize the intermediates and end products. After dehydration, the anhydrous complexes undergo decomposition to yield various intermediates, i.e., lithium oxalate/acetate/propionate/butyrate, ferrous oxalate/acetate and α-Fe₂O₃ in the temperature range of 185–240 °C. A subsequent decomposition of these intermediates leads to the formation of nanosized lithium ferrite (LiFeO₂). Ferrites have been obtained at much lower temperature (255–310 °C) as compared to conventional ceramic method. The same nano-ferrite has also been prepared by the combustion method at a comparatively lower temperature (400 °C) and in less time than that of conventional ceramic method.     

Zum Komplexbildungsverhalten der 5,6-Dihydroxy-7-oxa-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2,3-dicarbonsäure gegenüber 3 d-Übergangsmetallen

Complex Formation of 5,6-Dihydroxy-7-oxa-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic Acid with 3 d-Transition Elements Binary carboxylate complexes of bivalent 3 d-transition metal ions with 5-exo,6-cis-dihydroxy-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-exo,3-cis-dicarboxylic acid ( 2 ) have been synthesized in aqueous solution and characterized by elementary analysis, infrared and electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The coordination compounds have been found to undergo thermal decomposition with loss of water molecules, followed by the organic ligand to give metal oxides. The stability constants of the complexes have been determined by potentiometric measurements. It could be shown by X-ray analysis, that the dicarboxylate anion of 2 has different coordination behaviour in complexes [NiL²(H₂O)₃] · H₂O ( 2 c ) and [CuL²(H₂O)₂] · 2 H₂O ( 2 d ), respectively. In 2 c it acts as a tridentate chelating ligand forming together with three water molecules an only slightly distorted octahedral coordination sphere and its hydroxyl groups are coordinatively inactive. In 2 d , however, the oxygen atom of one hydroxyl group is included in coordination and by its interaction with a Cu atom of a neighboring molecule a polymeric chain structure is built up in the crystal. Two corners of the tetragonally extended coordination octahedron are occupied by water molecules. In both complexes the molecular packing is stabilized by a network of hydrogen bonds in which also the crystal water molecules are included.     

Thermogravimetric analysis of the copper silicate mineral dioptase Cu6[Si6O18]·6H2O

There have been a few studies on the thermal decomposition of dioptase Cu₆[Si₆O₁₈]·6H₂O. The results of these analyses are somewhat conflicting and the conclusions vary among these thermo-analytical studies. The objective of this research is to report the thermal analysis of dioptase from different origins and to show the mechanism of decomposition. Thermal decomposition occurs over a very wide temperature range from around 400 to 730 °C with the loss of water. Two additional mass loss steps are observed at around 793 and 835 °C with loss of oxygen. The infrared spectra of dioptase in the hydroxyl stretching region enables the hydrogen bond distances of water molecules in the dioptase structure to be calculated. The large variation in the hydrogen bond distances offers an explanation as to why the decomposition of dioptase with loss of water occurs over such a wide temperature range.     

Hydrogen-bonded clusters and solvate structures in the supercritical CO2-water-o-hydroxybenzoic acid system: the car-parrinello molecular dynamics

Hydrogen-bonded clusters and solvate structures formed by o-hydroxybenzoic acid (o-HBA) and water in supercritical CO₂ were studied (T = 318 K, 348 K, ρ = 0.7 g/cm³). The atom-atom radial distribution functions, coordination numbers, average numbers of hydrogen bonds for individual atomic groups, and power spectrum were calculated by the Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics. Despite the high polarity of the cosolvent, the hydroxyl group of o-HBA predominantly forms intramolecular hydrogen bond, while hydrogen bonds with water involve only the atoms of carboxyl groups. The temperature effect on the stability of these bonds showed itself in different ways. The intermolecular interactions of o-HBA with carbon dioxide were found to be weaker than those with water. It was established that the Lewis acid-Lewis base interactions between CO₂ and the hydroxyl group of the solute increase with increasing temperature. Instantaneous configurations illustrating the temperature effects on the molecular structures were obtained.