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Structural characterization of malachite-like coprecipitated precursors of binary CuO-ZnO catalysts

Journal Article · · J. Catal.; (United States)

Copper and zinc hydroxycarbonates with Cu/Zn atomic ratios of 100/0, 92/8, 85/15, 77/23, 67/33, and 50/50 were prepared by the coprecipitation method. The samples with the ratios 100/0, 92/8 and 85/15 were monophasic with the monoclinic P2/sub 1//a malachite structure, whereas the richer zinc samples contained in addition to the malachite phase the orthorhombic B22/sub 1/2 aurichalcite, whose concentration was very low in the 77/23 specimen but increased continuously with zinc content. The amount of aurichalcite in the biphasic powders has been estimated by means of quantitative X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis. With only those X-ray reflections belonging to the malachite structure taken into account, the unit cell constants for all the solid solution hydroxycarbonates have been determined, showing that as a whole the cell volume of malachite decreases continuously with increasing zinc content. This result is related, as shown also by DTA measurements and thermochemical literature data, to an increasing stability of compounds richer in zinc, to increasing covalent effects, and/or to less octahedral site distortion around the metal atoms when zinc substitutes for Cu/sup 2 +/ ions in the malachite lattice. Magnetic susceptibility and thermogravimetric measurements together with diffuse reflectance spectra are also presented and discussed.

Research Organization:
Universita di Roma La Sapienza (Italy)
OSTI ID:
5354044
Journal Information:
J. Catal.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Catal.; (United States) Vol. 109:2; ISSN JCTLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English