氮-硫共掺杂二氧化钛光催化剂的制备及其可见光催化活性

采用研磨煅烧法,以硫脲(TU)作为氮源和硫源,H2TiO3(HT)为TiO2的前驱体,制备了不同TU/HT比例的N,S共掺杂TiO2光催化剂(NS/TiO2);利用X射线衍射仪、透射电镜、X射线光电子能谱仪、拉曼光谱仪、紫外-可见吸收光谱仪等分析了NS/TiO2的晶体结构、显微形貌、典型元素的化学状态以及光谱性质;利用BET法测定了NS/TiO2的比表面积,同时测定了其在可见光照下催化降解罗丹明B的活性.结果表明,当TU/HT质量比为0.5时,NS/TiO2的光催化活性最佳,光照70min时的罗丹明B降解率为44.4%.氮元素以NH3形式吸附在TiO2表面,硫元素以S6+形式存在,部分S6+取代Ti 4+的位置.与此同时N,S共掺杂使得TiO2的禁带宽度减小,可见光催化活性提高.     

Single-crystalline ZnGa2O4 spinel phosphor via a single-source inorganic precursor route

The synthesis of single-crystalline ZnGa 2O 4 spinel phosphor with intense ultraviolet-emitting properties through a novel single-source inorganic precursor route is reported. This synthetic approach involves the calcination of a Zn-Ga layered double hydroxide precursor followed by selective leaching of the self-generated zinc oxide. Material characterization has been presented by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance, extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis, UV-vis, and photoluminescence measurements. The results indicate that a single-crystalline ZnGa 2O 4 spinel with an average particle size of around 150 nm has been obtained at a lower calcination temperature and shorter calcination time compared with that with the high-temperature solid-state reaction method, based on the fact that the large amount of highly dispersed ZnO particles generated during the high-temperature calcination of the single-source inorganic precursor has a remarkable segregation and inhibition effect on the growth of ZnGa 2O 4 spinel. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that that Ga (3+) ions locate not only on the octahedral sites but also on the tetrahedral sites in the matrix of the ZnGa 2O 4 spinel structure, and the Ga-O coordination environment has a great influence on the photoluminescence of ZnGa 2O 4 phosphors.     

Bis(4-methylpiperidine-1-carbodithioato)-lead(II) and Bis(4-benzylpiperidine-1-carbodithioato)-lead(II) as Precursors for Lead Sulphide Nano Photocatalysts for the Degradation of Rhodamine B

Bis(4-methylpiperidine-1-carbodithioato)-lead(II) and bis(4-benzylpiperidine-1-carbodithioato)-lead(II) were prepared and their molecular structures elucidated using single crystal X-ray crystallography and spectroscopic techniques. The compounds were used as precursors for the preparation of lead sulphide nano photocatalysts for the degradation of rhodamine B. The single crystal structures of the lead(II) dithiocarbamate complexes show mononuclear lead(II) compounds in which each lead(II) ion coordinates two dithiocarbamato anions in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The compounds were thermolyzed at 180 ℃ in hexadecylamine (HDA), octadecylamine (ODA), and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) to prepare HDA, ODA, and TOPO capped lead sulphide (PbS) nanoparticles. Powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD) patterns of the lead sulphide nanoparticles were indexed to the rock cubic salt crystalline phase of lead sulphide. The lead sulphide nanoparticles were used as photocatalysts for the degradation of rhodamine B with ODA-PbS1 achieving photodegradation efficiency of 45.28% after 360 min. The photostability and reusability studies of the as-prepared PbS nanoparticles were studied in four consecutive cycles, showing that the percentage degradation efficiency decreased slightly by about 0.51–1.93%. The results show that the as-prepared PbS nanoparticles are relatively photostable with a slight loss of photodegradation activities as the reusability cycles progress.     

Synthesis of TiO2 photocatalysts with abundant surface defects using a TiO2@NaCl precursor

TiO2 nanoparticles have been synthesized by using a TiO2@NaCl core-shell structure as the precursor. The surface defects were well preserved by the NaCl shell, and therefore high oxygen adsorption capacity was observed. After the NaCl shell was removed, the resulting pure TiO2 nanoparticles were of anatase phase and uniform size of around 20?24 nm. The presence of an abundance of surface defects contributes to the high photocatalytic activity of the synthesized materials, and the TiO2 materials obtained from the TiO2@NaCl precursor can be used as efficient photocatalysts for degradation of rhodamine B under UV light irradiation.     

N掺杂富含(001)晶面TiO_2纳米片的制备及N掺杂浓度对可见光催化活性的影响(英文)

采用水热法制备了富含(001)晶面的锐钛矿型TiO2纳米片,并通过改变热处理过程中NH3流速制备不同N掺杂浓度的TiO2纳米片.运用X射线衍射、场发射扫描电镜、高分辨率透射电子显微镜、紫外-可见漫反射光谱、X射线光电子能谱和荧光光谱对光催化剂进行了结构和性能表征,并以罗丹明B为目标降解物,考察了N掺杂浓度对TiO2纳米片可见光催化活性的影响.结果表明,NH3流速为40ml/min时制备的N掺杂TiO2纳米片具有最低的光生电子-空穴复合速率,最高的OH产生能力并表现出最高的光催化活性.同时,讨论了N掺杂浓度对TiO纳米片可见光催化活性影响的机理.     

碳纳米管改性g-C3N4提升可见光催化降解性能

以尿素为原料,引入少量的多壁碳纳米管(CNT)改性,采用简便方法制备CNT/g-C_3N_4催化剂。利用扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、傅里叶红外光谱仪(FT-IR)、X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见-近红外分光光度计(UV-Vis-NIR Spectrophotometer)、荧光光谱(PL)等手段对CNT/g-C_3N_4催化剂进行表征。结果表明,g-C_3N_4与CNT之间的协同作用,影响了gC_3N_4的能带结构,增强了其对可见光的吸收,改善了光生载流子的分布,提高了电子-空穴对的分离效率。并以罗丹明B(RhB)水溶液模拟废水,在可见光下考察催化剂的光催化降解性能,发现当CNT掺杂量为0.1%(w/w)时效果最佳,降解速率常数是体相g-C_3N_4的3.1倍,且研究发现超氧自由基是该体系下的主要活性物种。     

g-C3N4纳米管的制备及其光催化降解性能

以三聚氰胺和碳酸氢铵混合物为原料,采用简便热解法制备g-C₃N₄纳米管。热解过程中碳酸氢铵分解释放出大量的NH₃,能够诱导纳米管的形成。利用X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、红外光谱（IR）、N₂吸附-脱附、紫外-可见漫反射光谱以及紫外可见光谱（UV）等分析测试方法对该光催化剂的微观形貌结构和催化性能进行了表征。以罗丹明光催化降解为模型反应研究了g-C₃N₄纳米管的光催化活性。g-C₃N₄纳米管的表面积明显增大,且能够有效地促进光生电子转移,在可见光下具有较强的光催化性能,降解率在60和120 min时分别能达到95%和99.4%,且循环重复利用5次后降解率不低于92%。     

g-C3N4纳米管的制备及其光催化降解性能

以三聚氰胺和碳酸氢铵混合物为原料,采用简便热解法制备g-C_3N_4纳米管。热解过程中碳酸氢铵分解释放出大量的NH3,能够诱导纳米管的形成。利用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、红外光谱(IR)、N_2吸附-脱附、紫外-可见漫反射光谱以及紫外可见光谱(UV)等分析测试方法对该光催化剂的微观形貌结构和催化性能进行了表征。以罗丹明光催化降解为模型反应研究了g-C_3N_4纳米管的光催化活性。g-C_3N_4纳米管的表面积明显增大,且能够有效地促进光生电子转移,在可见光下具有较强的光催化性能,降解率在60和120 min时分别能达到95%和99.4%,且循环重复利用5次后降解率不低于92%。     

Study of iron-zinc catalysts by Mössbauer spectroscopy

The Mössbauer parameters were determined on a series of catalyst mixtures of iron and zinc oxides with variable quantities of zinc. From these results, a change in the crystal structure of the iron oxide when introducing zinc into the samples was observed. The corundum structure of the -Fe₂O₃ phase was transformed into the spinel type of zinc ferrite when zinc oxide was present in any quantity. By means of these parameters a strong electronic interaction between the zinc ferrite and the zinc oxide present in excess was evident. The catalysts were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence /XRF/ and X-ray diffraction /XRD/.     

Effect of nitrogen-doping temperature on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the B,N-doped TiO2

B,N-TiO₂ photocatalysts were synthesized by boron doping firstly and subsequently nitrogen doping in NH₃ at variable temperatures. The effects of the nitrogen doping temperature on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the B,N-codoped TiO₂ were investigated. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated with photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye (MO) under visible light and UV-visible light irradiation. The results suggested that the boron and nitrogen can be incorporated into the TiO₂ lattice either interstitially or substitutionally or both, while the Ti-O-B-N structure plays a vital role in photocatalytic activity in visible light region. The optimal nitrogen doping temperature is 550 °C. Higher temperature may form many oxygen vacancies and Ti³⁺ species, resulting in the decrease of photocatalytic activity in visible light.     

Ag负载CdMoO4光催化剂的制备及其催化性能

采用硼氢化钠还原法制备了Ag负载CdMoO₄光催化剂。运用X射线粉末衍射（XRD）、扫描电镜（SEM）和透射电镜（TEM）等测试手段对催化剂的组成和结构进行了表征;采用紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）和X射线光电子能谱（XPS）等技术对催化剂的光响应和表面状态进行了分析,考察了不同Ag负载量对CdMoO₄紫外光降解罗丹明B和可见光选择性氧化苯甲醇性能的影响。结果表明,与CdMoO₄相比,Ag/CdMoO₄具有更高的光催化活性。利用活性物种捕获实验探讨其光催化降解过程的反应机理,实验结果显示O₂^-·和·OH是光催化降解过程的主要活性物种。     

Ag负载CdMoO4光催化剂的制备及其催化性能

采用硼氢化钠还原法制备了Ag负载Cd Mo O4光催化剂。运用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)等测试手段对催化剂的组成和结构进行了表征;采用紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等技术对催化剂的光响应和表面状态进行了分析,考察了不同Ag负载量对Cd Mo O4紫外光降解罗丹明B和可见光选择性氧化苯甲醇性能的影响。结果表明,与Cd Mo O4相比,Ag/Cd Mo O4具有更高的光催化活性。利用活性物种捕获实验探讨其光催化降解过程的反应机理,实验结果显示O2-·和·OH是光催化降解过程的主要活性物种。     

Synthesis of sponge-like TiO2 with surface-phase junctions for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance

Maximizing adsorption and catalytic active sites and promoting the photo-excited charge separation are two key factors to achieve excellent photocatalytic performance. In this study, we report a sol-gel synthesis approach to obtain non-metal doped TiO₂ with sponge-like structure and surface-phase junctions all at once. While doping of carbon and nitrogen shifted the activation wavelength to the visible-light region, the innovative use of perchloric acid as a pore-making agent led to the formation of three-dimensional lamellar and porous structure with surface-phase junctions. High surface area with catalytic active sites rendered by the sponge-like structure and surface-phase junctions contributed to the much improved photocatalytic degradation efficiency toward rhodamine B, tetracycline and Disperse Red 60 with excellent reusability and stability. The improved generation and separation efficiency of the photo-induced charge carriers of the as-prepared TiO₂ were supported by electrochemical impedance measurements and transient photocurrent responses. This method could also be applied to other photocatalysts to achieve structural alteration and element doping simultaneously.     

pH调控合成溴氧铋纳米片的底物依赖光催化特性

近年来,半导体光催化技术已广泛用于去除水中有机污染物.在各类光催化剂中,具有合适禁带宽度的溴氧铋(BiOBr,2.7 eV)材料吸引了众多研究者兴趣.通常情况下,半导体光催化降解有机污染物性能主要与光催化材料的结构性质,如物相组成、颗粒粒径、材料表面结构等相关.研究已经证实了TiO2光催化降解有机污染物具有底物依赖的特性,但是BiOBr的有机物降解特性与底物性质的关系研究尚未见文献报道.为发展高效的BiOBr太阳光催化污染净化技术,研究有机底物与BiOBr光催化降解性能的关系具有重要意义.本文分别在pH =1和pH =3条件下采用水热法合成了BiOBr纳米片(BOB-1和BOB-3),并通过X射线粉末衍射(XRD),扫描电子显微镜(SEM),透射电子显微镜(TEM),紫外-可见漫反射(DRS)等技术表征了所制备半导体光催化材料.结果表明,在不同pH条件下均能合成具有高结晶度的四方相BiOBr, BOB-1和BOB-3均由不规则的纳米片组成, BOB-3纳米片宽度大约为0.6–1.5μm,厚度大约27–44 nm,而BOB-1纳米片宽度大约为0.7–2.0μm,厚度大约50 nm.选区电子衍射观察到了BOB-1和BOB-3清晰的晶格条纹,晶格间距为0.20和0.28 nm,分别对应着四方晶系的(020)面和(110)面.选取罗丹明B(RhB)和水杨酸(SA)为典型有机底物分子,研究了BOB-1和BOB-3纳米片的底物依赖光催化特性.结果表明, BOB-1吸附SA和RhB 1 h后,吸附率分别仅为0.2%和0.8%,而BOB-3对SA和RhB的效率分别可达9.1%和12.7%;光催化降解两种底物分子的结果表明, BOB-1和BOB-3降解RhB的速率分别为4.00以及16.10 g·min–1·m2,而降解SA的速率分别为和2.35 g·min–1·m2.可见, BOB-1显示了高效降解SA的能力,而, BOB-3则表现出更强的降解RhB活性.电化学Mott-Schottky和电动电位测试结果表明, BOB-1比BOB-3有更正的价带电位和更低的表面电荷.捕获实验(KI捕获空穴, K2Cr2O7捕获电子,氩气捕获超氧负离子,异丙醇捕获羟基自由基)表明光生空穴与超氧负离子是BOB-3降解RhB的主要活性物种,而BOB-1降解SA主要是光生空穴作用,电子顺磁共振(ESR)测试进一步证实了以上结果.光电流密度测试结果表明,可见光作用下RhB可被激发到RhB*,导致BOB-3的电子空穴对分离效率高;而当电解质中存在SA时,催化剂的表面羟基与SA形成氢键,致使光生电子与空穴分离效果变差,因而光电流减少.本文提出了pH调控合成溴氧铋纳米片的底物依赖光催化降解RhB和SA机理,与BiOBr导带电位、底物分子吸附量、底物分子物理化学性质相关. BOB-1和BOB-3纳米片催化剂在可见光激发下能产生光生导带电子和价带空穴,这些光生载流子可迁移到催化剂表面.染料分子RhB在可见光作用下能发生光敏化作用生成激发态RhB*, RhB*可以将电子注入BOB-3催化剂的导带,导带上的光生电子与RhB*注入电子与吸附在其表面的氧气共同作用生成更多的超氧负离子,从而高效降解RhB.由于BOB-1比BOB-3有更正导带电势,导带电子无法直接还原氧气生成超氧负离子,仅能依靠光生空穴直接氧化RhB,导致BOB-1表现出降解RhB性能弱;对于无色的底物SA,吸附较多SA的BOB-3催化剂上的表面羟基与SA之间形成氢键作用,抑制了光生电子与空穴对的分离,导致BOB-3在可见光光催化降解SA活性弱,而BOB-1表面吸附SA较少,同时BOB-1有更负的价带电位,利用光生空穴与吸附在催化剂表面的SA反应,从而表现出高效降解SA的性能.     

Nanoflower-like composites of ZnO/SiO2 synthesized using bamboo leaves ash as reusable photocatalyst

In this study, the synthesis of ZnO/SiO₂ nanocomposites using bamboo leaf ash (BLA) and tested their photocatalytic activity for rhodamine B decolorization have been conducted. The nanocomposites were prepared by the sol–gel reaction of zinc acetate dihydrate, which was used as a zinc oxide precursor, with silica gel obtained from the caustic extraction of BLA. The effect of the Zn content (5, 10, and 20 wt%) on the physicochemical characteristics and photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was investigated. The results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, gas sorption, and transmission electron microscopy characterization confirmed the mesoporous structure of the composites containing nanoflower-like ZnO (wurtzite) nanoparticles of 10–30 nm in size dispersed on the silica support. Further, the nanocomposites were confirmed to be composed of ZnO/SiO₂ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Meanwhile, diffuse-reflectance UV–visible spectrophotometry analysis of the nanocomposites revealed band gap energies of 3.38–3.39 eV. Of the tested nanocomposites, that containing 10 wt% Zn exhibited the highest decolorization efficiency (99%) and fastest decolorization rate. In addition, the degradation efficiencies were not reduced significantly after five repeated runs, demonstrating the reusability of the nanocomposite catalysts. Therefore, the ZnO/SiO₂ nanocomposite obtained from BLA is a promising reusable photocatalyst for the degradation of dye-polluted water.     

一步醇-水热法合成高效的F掺杂BiVO4光催化剂

以NH₄F为掺杂前体,采用简单的一步醇-水热法制备了F掺杂BiVO₄光催化剂。利用X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis）和光致发光光谱（PL）表征了这些光催化剂的物理化学性质。在少量H₂O₂存在条件下,以可见光照射下光催化降解苯酚的反应测定了这些光催化剂的催化活性。研究表明,相较于未掺杂的BiVO₄样品而言,F掺杂BiVO₄样品不仅仍保留了单斜结构,而且有更高的结晶度、表面氧空位密度和光生电荷载流子分离效率,更强的光吸收和更低的带隙能。在这些F掺杂BiVO₄样品中,以n_F/n_Bi的理论值为1.0且带隙能为2.43 eV的F掺杂BiVO₄样品的光催化活性最好（90 min内苯酚的降解率可达95%）。这一优良的光催化性能与其具有最高的结晶度、表面氧空位密度和光生电荷载流子分离效率,最强的光吸收和最低的带隙能有关。     

通过rGO与g-C3N4的π–π堆积作用提高氮化碳光化学氧化能力

石墨相氮化碳(g-C3N4)具有较高的催化活性、良好的生物相容性、廉价易得、低毒性等特点,因而受到了广泛的关注.g-C3N4的禁带宽度为2.7 eV,可被可见光激发,相对于二氧化钛和氧化锌,它对可见光具有更高的太阳光利用率.尽管理论上g-C3N4是类似于石墨烯结构的二维材料,但通常情况下g-C3N4却是层层堆积起来的三维体相结构.从而导致了其比表面积降低,催化反应过程中与反应物接触面积小.同时又使光照下生成的载流子不能迅速传递到材料表面参与反应,大大降低了g-C3N4光生载流子的分离和传递效率.另外,作为一种可见光催化剂,g-C3N4的禁带宽度比一般的无机半导体光催化剂窄,仅能够吸收部分可见光.本文利用原位煅烧法制备了g-C3N4/rGO复合光催化剂,以罗丹明B和2,4-二氯酚为目标探针分子,考察了其可见光催化活性.这对于设计开发其他具有共轭大π键的光催化体系,具有一定的借鉴意义.X射线衍射(XRD),傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR),X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和激光共聚焦拉曼光谱(Raman)结果表明,氧化石墨烯成功地被还原为石墨烯,并成功地引入到了g-C3N4中去.在三聚氰胺聚合的过程中,石墨烯被夹杂在氮化碳的片层中间,有利于形成π-π共轭作用.复合光催化剂C3N4/rGO的带边发生明显的红移,在可见光区域内的吸收强度也有所增加,因而有利于其可见光催化活性的提高.通过外推法算得g-C3N4和C3N4/rGO-1复合光催化剂的带隙宽度分别为2.70和2.42 eV.为了更好地考察复合光催化剂C3N4/rGO的能带结构的变化,通过光电化学的手段对其进行进一步的研究.莫特-肖特基结果表明该半导体是n型.计算得出g-C3N4和C3N4/rGO复合光催化剂的平带电势分别为–1.12和–0.85 V对甘汞标准电极,C3N4/rGO复合光催化剂的平带电位发生明显的正移.由此分别确定g-C3N4和C3N4/rGO复合光催化剂的价带底则位于1.58和1.74 V对甘汞标准电极.相比g-C3N4,g-C3N4/rGO复合光催化剂的价带位置的降低意味着其具有更强光氧化的能力,且比表面积的增大也有利于光催化反应.结果发现,石墨烯与g-C3N4的比例为1%时,复合样品的光催化性能最佳,对罗丹明B和2,4-二氯酚的降解性能均有提高.     

Ｂｉ（ Ｎｂ） ＯＣｌ 光 催 化 剂 的 制 备 及 其 可 见 光 降 解罗 丹 明 Ｂ 溶 液 的 性 能

半导体光催化剂作为环境净化材料,具有稳定性好、光效率高、无二次污染等特点,具有广泛的应用前景.过去的研究大都集中在以TiO2为基础的光催化剂上.本文制备了具有层状结构的Bi基氧氯化物Bi(Nb)OCl光催化剂,用XRD、BET和UV-VIS吸收对样品进行了晶相、孔结构和光吸收性能表征,用罗丹明B的降解表征了材料的光催化活性.结果表明,BiOCl和Bi4NbO8Cl均具有可见光光催化降解活性,但两者的反应机理不同,Bi4NbO8Cl是光催化机制,BiOCl是染料光敏化机制.     

Fe、N共掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列的制备及可见光光催化活性

应用电化学阳极氧化法结合浸渍和退火后处理制备了Fe和N共掺杂的TiO2纳米管阵列光催化剂,并用场发射扫描电镜(FESEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和俄歇电子能谱(AES)仪对其进行了表征.结果表明,Fe、N共掺杂对TiO2纳米管阵列的形貌和结构没有明显影响,Fe和N均掺入了TiO2晶格.紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱显示Fe和N共掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列的吸收带边较纯TiO2纳米管阵列和单一掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列红移,可见光吸收增强.以可见光催化降解罗丹明B(RhB)考察了材料的光催化活性,Fe和N共掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列对RhB的降解速率较纯TiO2纳米管阵列和单一掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列明显提高,证明了Fe、N共掺杂产生的协同效应提高了TiO2纳米管阵列在可见光照射下的光催化活性.     

Thermochemical studies on the formation and constitution of the zinc oxide—aluminium oxide system

This study is based on thermogravimetric (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and chemical analysis of the ZnOAl₂O₃ system. The coprecipitation from mixed nitrate salt solutions of zinc and aluminium results in the formation of zinc basic carbonate and aluminium hydroxide, and is also a precursor to aluminate spinel (2ZnO·3Al₂O₃) only in the samples in which aluminium is present in near or above stoichiometric quantities. Grinding of the mixtures of individual precipitates maintains the similarity with coprecipitates in forming a “precursor”, but to a lesser extent. The endothermic peak in DTA at 275°C in some coprecipitated and mixed samples hints at the formation of a precursor since the individual precipitate does not have a peak at this temperature. The “precursor” to spinel obtained in the precipitation stage in some coprecipitated samples is freely soluble in 1 M HCl, and that obtained at 450°C is partially soluble which cannot be detected by the usual X-ray technique due to its highly disordered structure in amorphous state. The “precursor” is converted around 800°C to an actual spinel structure, which is almost insoluble in M HCl and is detectable by X-rays.