Novel interpretation of the mean structure of feroxyhyte

Bulk and surface theoretical investigation of Nb-doped δ-FeOOH as a promising bifunctional catalyst

The development of bifunctional catalysts is of great interest in fine chemistry, since they are capable of promoting multicatalytic reactions involved in several important industrial processes. Iron oxyhydroxides have been identified as low-cost bifunctional catalysts. However, their applications are limited due to their weak acid character. Thus, elaborated modifications of these systems can significantly contribute to increasing their activities and selectivity. This work consists in the study, through DFT calculations, of the properties of the bulk and the surface of feroxyhyte (δ-FeOOH) doped with niobium, as a potential bifunctional catalyst. We identified the formation of stronger van der Waals interactions among the doped δ-FeOOH layers, which can increase the thermal stability of the catalyst. In addition, evidence has been found that the insertion of Nb increases Brönsted acidity and gives rise to new Lewis acid sites on the catalyst surface.

Impact of Antimony(V) on Iron(II)-Catalyzed Ferrihydrite Transformation Pathways: A Novel Mineral Switch for Feroxyhyte Formation

The environmental mobility of antimony (Sb) is controlled by interactions with iron (Fe) oxides, such as ferrihydrite. Under near-neutral pH conditions, Fe(II) catalyzes the transformation of ferrihydrite to more stable phases, thereby potentially altering the partitioning and speciation of associated Sb. Although largely unexplored, Sb itself may also influence ferrihydrite transformation pathways. Here, we investigated the impact of Sb on the Fe(II)-induced transformation of ferrihydrite at pH 7 across a range of Sb(V) loadings (Sb:Fe(III) molar ratios of 0, 0.003, 0.016, and 0.08). At low and medium Sb loadings, Fe(II) induced rapid transformation of ferrihydrite to goethite, with some lepidocrocite forming as an intermediate phase. In contrast, the highest Sb:Fe(III) ratio inhibited lepidocrocite formation, decreased the extent of goethite formation, and instead resulted in substantial formation of feroxyhyte, a rarely reported FeOOH polymorph. At all Sb loadings, the transformation of ferrihydrite was paralleled by a decrease in aqueous and phosphate-extractable Sb concentrations. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy showed that this Sb immobilization was attributable to incorporation of Sb into Fe(III) octahedral sites of the neo-formed minerals. Our results suggest that Fe oxide transformation pathways in Sb-contaminated systems may strongly differ from the well-known pathways under Sb-free conditions.

ϵ-FeOOH: A Novel Negative Electrode Material for Li- and Na-Ion Batteries

The demand for eco-friendly materials for secondary batteries has stimulated the exploration of a wide variety of Fe oxides, but their potential as electrode materials remains unknown. In this contribution, ϵ-FeOOH was synthesized using a high-pressure/high-temperature method and examined for the first time in nonaqueous Li and Na cells. Under a pressure of 8 GPa, α-FeOOH transformed into ϵ-FeOOH at 400 °C and then decomposed into α-Fe2O3 and H2O above 500 °C. Here, FeO6 octahedra form [2 × 1] tunnels in α-FeOOH or [1 × 1] tunnels in ϵ-FeOOH. The ϵ-FeOOH/Li cell exhibited a rechargeable capacity (Q recha) of ∼700 mA h·g-1 at 0.02-3.0 V, whereas the ϵ-FeOOH/Na cell indicated a Q recha of less than 30 mA h·g-1 at 0.02-2.7 V. The discharge and charge profiles of ϵ-FeOOH and α-FeOOH were similar, but the rate capability of ϵ-FeOOH was superior to that of α-FeOOH.

Characterization of nZVI nanoparticles functionalized by EDTA and dipicolinic acid: a comparative study of metal ion removal from aqueous solutions

Surface modification of nZVI particles by EDTA and PDCA leads to the formation of magnetite and feroxyhyte shell. PDCA capping caused the elongation of spheres into ellipsoids. Metals adsorption was more efficient on smaller ellipsoidal particles.