Surface chemistry of porous magnesium fluoride

Porous preparations of magnesium fluoride were obtained from magnesium sulphate and magnesium carbonate and their surface properties have been studied. It has been shown that pure magnesium fluoride has a weak surface acidity of the Lewis type and no protonic sites stronger than H_R?0.82. Base properties of MgF₂ surfaces are more pronounced than acid ones, but the base strength is low. Surfaces of MgF₂ also bear oxidizing and reducing centres capable of forming ion radicals with adsorbed perylene and tetracyanoethylene. The low catalytic activity of magnesium fluoride for acid catalysed reactions suggests the application of MgF₂ as a catalyst support rather than as a catalyst.