Surfactant-assisted hydrothermal crystallization of nanostructured lithium metasilicate (Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3}) hollow spheres: (I) Synthesis, structural and microstructural characterization

Journal Article · Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Journal of Solid State Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2011.03.056· OSTI ID:21494297

Ortiz-Landeros, J ^[1]; Contreras-Garcia, M E ^[2]; Gomez-Yanez, C ^[3]; Pfeiffer, H ^[1]

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1. Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacan, CP 04510, Mexico DF (Mexico)
2. Instituto de Investigaciones Metalurgicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Francisco J. Mujica s/n Edificio U Ciudad Universitaria, CP 58060, Morelia Michoacan (Mexico)
3. Departamento de Ingenieria Metalurgica, Escuela Superior de Ingenieria Quimica e Industrias Extractivas, IPN, UPALM, Av. Instituto Politecnico Nacional s/n, CP 07738, Mexico DF (Mexico)

Lithium metasilicate (Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3}) was successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal process in the presence of different surfactants with cationic, non-ionic and anionic characters. The samples obtained were compared to a sample prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The structural and microstructural characterizations of different Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} powders were performed using various techniques. Diffraction analyses revealed the successful crystallization of pure Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} single phase by hydrothermal technique, even without further heat-treatments and independent of the surfactant used. Electron microscopy analyses revealed that Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} powders were composed of uniform micrometric particles with a hollow sphere morphology and nanostructured walls. Finally, different thermal analyses showed that Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} samples preserved their structure and microstructure after further thermal treatments. Specific aspects regarding the formation mechanism of the spherical aggregates under hydrothermal conditions are discussed, and there is a special emphasis on the effect of the synthesis pathway on the morphological characteristics. -- Graphical abstract: Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} was synthesized using a hydrothermal process in the presence of different surfactants. Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} powders were composed of uniform micrometric particles with a hollow sphere morphology and nanostructured walls. Display Omitted Highlights: {yields} Pure Li{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} was synthesized by the hydrothermal method. {yields} Surfactant addition produced microstructural and morphological variations. {yields} TEM reveled the generation of nanostructured hollow spheres.

• OSTI ID: 21494297
• Journal Information: Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Vol. 184, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2011.03.056; PII: S0022-4596(11)00167-8; Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0022-4596
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CRYSTALLIZATION
DIFFRACTION
HEAT TREATMENTS
HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS
LITHIUM SILICATES
MICROSTRUCTURE
MORPHOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
SPHERES
SURFACTANTS
THERMAL ANALYSIS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
COHERENT SCATTERING
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
MICROSCOPY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SCATTERING
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SYNTHESIS