Dissolution of insulating oxide materials at the molecular scale

Molecular insight into the initial hydration of tricalcium aluminate

Portland cement (PC) is ubiquitously used in construction for centuries, yet the elucidation of its early-age hydration remains a challenge. Understanding the initial hydration progress of tricalcium aluminate (C3A) at molecular scale is thus crucial for tackling this challenge as it exhibits a proclivity for early-stage hydration and plays a pivotal role in structural build-up of cement colloids. Herein, we implement a series of ab-initio calculations to probe the intricate molecular interactions of C3A during its initial hydration process. The C3A surface exhibits remarkable chemical activity in promoting water dissociation, which in turn facilitates the gradual desorption of Ca ions through a metal-proton exchange reaction. The dissolution pathways and free energies of these Ca ions follow the ligand-exchange mechanism with multiple sequential reactions to form the ultimate products where Ca ions adopt fivefold or sixfold coordination. Finally, these Ca complexes reprecipitate on the remaining Al-rich layer through the interface-coupled dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism, demonstrating dynamically stable inner-sphere adsorption states. The above results are helpful in unmasking the early-age hydration of PC and advancing the rational design of cement-based materials through the bottom-up approach.

Molecular Parameters Promoting High Relaxivity in Cluster-Nanocarrier Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents

We have investigated the mechanism of relaxivity for two magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents that both employ a cluster-nanocarrier design. The first system termed Mn8Fe4-coPS comprises the cluster Mn8Fe4O12(L)16(H2O)4 or Mn8Fe4 (1) (L = carboxylate) co-polymerized with polystyrene to form ∼75 nm nanobeads. The second system termed Mn3Bpy-PAm used the cluster Mn3(O2CCH3)6(Bpy)2 or Mn3Bpy (2) where Bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, entrapped in ∼180 nm polyacrylamide nanobeads. Here, we investigate the rate of water exchange of the two clusters, and corresponding cluster-nanocarriers, in order to elucidate the mechanism of relaxivity in the cluster-nanocarrier. Swift-Connick analysis of O-17 NMR was used to determine the water exchange rates of the clusters and cluster-nanocarriers. We found distinct differences in the water exchange rate between Mn8Fe4 and Mn8Fe4-coPS, and we utilized these differences to elucidate the nanobead structure. Using the transverse relaxivity from O-17 NMR line widths, we were able to determine the hydration state of the Mn3Bpy (2) cluster as well as Mn3Bpy-PAm. Using these hydration states in the Swift-Connick analysis of O-17 NMR, we found the water exchange rate to be extremely close in value for the cluster Mn3Bpy and cluster-nanocarrier Mn3Bpy-PAm.

Exploring Mechanisms of Hydration and Carbonation of MgO and Mg(OH)2 in Reactive Magnesium Oxide-Based Cements

Reactive magnesium oxide (MgO)-based cement (RMC) can play a key role in carbon capture processes. However, knowledge on the driving forces that control the degree of carbonation and hydration and rate of reactions in this system remains limited. In this work, density functional theory-based simulations are used to investigate the physical nature of the reactions taking place during the fabrication of RMCs under ambient conditions. Parametric indicators such as adsorption energies, charge transfer, electron localization function, adsorption/dissociation energy barriers, and the mechanisms of interaction of H₂O and CO₂ molecules with MgO and brucite (Mg(OH)₂) clusters are considered. The following hydration and carbonation interactions relevant to RMCs are evaluated: (i) carbonation of MgO, (ii) hydration of MgO, carbonation of hydrated MgO, (iii) carbonation of Mg(OH)₂, (iv) hydration of Mg(OH)₂, and (v) hydration of carbonated Mg(OH)₂. A comparison of the energy barriers and reaction pathways of these mechanisms shows that the carbonation of MgO is hindered by the presence of H₂O molecules, while the carbonation of Mg(OH)₂ is hindered by the formation of initial carbonate and hydrate layers as well as presence of excessed H₂O molecules. To compare these finding to bulk mineral surfaces, the interactions of the CO₂ and H₂O molecules with the MgO(001) and Mg(OH)₂ (001) surfaces are studied. Therefore, this work presents deep insights into the physical nature of the reactions and the mechanisms involved in hydrated magnesium carbonates production that can be beneficial for its development.

Classical and Nonclassical Nucleation and Growth Mechanisms for Nanoparticle Formation

All solid materials are created via nucleation. In this evolutionary process, nuclei form in solution or at interfaces and expand by monomeric growth, oriented attachment, and phase transformation. Nucleation determines the location and size of nuclei, whereas growth controls the size, shape, and aggregation of newly formed nanoparticles. These physical properties of nanoparticles can determine their functionalities, reactivities, and porosities, as well as their fate and transport. Recent advances in nanoscale analytical technologies allow in situ real-time observations, enabling us to uncover the molecular nature of nuclei and the critical controlling factors for nucleation and growth. Although a single theory cannot yet fully explain such evolving processes, we have started to better understand how both classical and nonclassical theories can work together, and we have begun to recognize the importance of connecting these theories. This review discusses the recent convergence of knowledge about the nucleation and the growth of nanoparticles. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, Volume 73 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Rapid oxygen exchange between hematite and water vapor

Oxygen exchange at oxide/liquid and oxide/gas interfaces is important in technology and environmental studies, as it is closely linked to both catalytic activity and material degradation. The atomic-scale details are mostly unknown, however, and are often ascribed to poorly defined defects in the crystal lattice. Here we show that even thermodynamically stable, well-ordered surfaces can be surprisingly reactive. Specifically, we show that all the 3-fold coordinated lattice oxygen atoms on a defect-free single-crystalline "r-cut" ([Formula: see text]) surface of hematite (α-Fe2O3) are exchanged with oxygen from surrounding water vapor within minutes at temperatures below 70 °C, while the atomic-scale surface structure is unperturbed by the process. A similar behavior is observed after liquid-water exposure, but the experimental data clearly show most of the exchange happens during desorption of the final monolayer, not during immersion. Density functional theory computations show that the exchange can happen during on-surface diffusion, where the cost of the lattice oxygen extraction is compensated by the stability of an HO-HOH-OH complex. Such insights into lattice oxygen stability are highly relevant for many research fields ranging from catalysis and hydrogen production to geochemistry and paleoclimatology.

A kinetic study on the mechanisms of metal leaching from the top surface layer of copper aluminates and copper ferrites

Recent studies have reported the potential copper immobilization in aluminates (CuAl₂O₄ and CuAlO₂) and ferrites (tetragonal CuFe₂O₄ and cubic CuFe₂O₄) and suggested a reliable method to stabilize metals in reusable ceramic products. In this study, copper immobilization effect was further analyzed in the leaching solutions with pH close to environmental conditions. The results from the chemical equilibrium model Visual MINTEQ illustrated that almost all copper, aluminum, and iron formed complexes with CH₃COO^- ions in the leachates. The dissolution behavior on sample surface was further explicated by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The weight percentage of leached copper was lower than 0.1% even after 22-day leaching, indicating the successful copper stabilization in aluminates and ferrites. The results showed the highest copper concentrations in CuAlO₂ leachates and the smallest leached copper amount from tetragonal CuFe₂O₄, respectively. The incongruent dissolution with Al-O or Fe-O bonds still remaining on the solid surface may be beneficial for preventing further leaching of copper. Furthermore, the modeling of reaction kinetics found that copper leaching from the CuAl₂O₄ and CuAlO₂ obeyed the second-order reaction with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. Moreover, the shrinking core model was chosen to analyze the leaching mechanisms of both CuFe₂O₄ ferrites, and the diffusion through product layer model acted as the rate-controlling step in their leaching process.

Water Adsorption on the β-Dicalcium Silicate Surface from DFT Simulations

β-dicalcium silicate (β-Ca2SiO4 or β-C2S in cement chemistry notation) is one of the most important minerals in cement. An improvement of its hydration rate would be the key point for developing environmentally-friendly cements with lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding on the water/β-C2S surface interactions. In this work, we aim to evaluate the water adsorption on three β-C2S surfaces at the atomic scale using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results indicate that thermodynamically favorable water adsorption takes place in several surface sites with a broad range of adsorption energies (−0.78 to −1.48 eV) depending on the particular mineral surface and adsorption site. To clarify the key factor governing the adsorption of the electronic properties of water at the surface were analyzed. The partial density of states (DOS), charge analysis, and electron density difference analyses suggest a dual interaction of water with a β-C2S (100) surface including a nucleophilic interaction of the water oxygen lone pair with surface calcium atoms and an electrophilic interaction (hydrogen bond) of one water hydrogen with surface oxygen atoms. Despite the elucidation of the adsorption mechanism, no correlation was found between the electronic structure and the adsorption energies.

Modifying Surface Chemistry of Metal Oxides for Boosting Dissolution Kinetics in Water by Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy

Dissolution of metal oxides is fundamentally important for understanding mineral evolution and micromachining oxide functional materials. In general, dissolution of metal oxides is a slow and inefficient chemical reaction. Here, by introducing oxygen deficiencies to modify the surface chemistry of oxides, we can boost the dissolution kinetics of metal oxides in water, as in situ demonstrated in a liquid environmental transmission electron microscope (LETEM). The dissolution rate constant significantly increases by 16-19 orders of magnitude, equivalent to a reduction of 0.97-1.11 eV in activation energy, as compared with the normal dissolution in acid. It is evidenced from the high-resolution TEM imaging, electron energy loss spectra, and first-principle calculations where the dissolution route of metal oxides is dynamically changed by local interoperability between altered water chemistry and surface oxygen deficiencies via electron radiolysis. This discovery inspires the development of a highly efficient electron lithography method for metal oxide films in ecofriendly water, which offers an advanced technique for nanodevice fabrication.

Aggregation and Dissociation of Aqueous Al13 Induced by Fluoride Substitution

The ε-Keggin ion AlO₄Al₁₂(OH)₂₄(H₂O)₁₂⁷⁺ (ε-K Al₁₃⁷⁺) is a double-edged sword, because it commonly acts as a toxic component toward aquatic organisms, but also is considered to be an effective coagulant. Gaining deep insight into the transformation of ε-K Al₁₃⁷⁺ in the presence of coexisting ligands would have significant implications for water environmental science, as well as for practical water purification. The aggregation and dissociation of aqueous Al₁₃⁷⁺ induced by fluoride (F^-) substitution were herein investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, and theoretical calculations. The F^- substitution on η-OH₂ sites was extremely fast, reducing the charge of ε-K Al₁₃⁷⁺ so that the repulsive force between fluorinated Al₁₃ species was immediately reduced. Consequently, fluorinated Al₁₃ aggregated, with the formula [Al₁₃F₅]²⁺, which was demonstrated by calculating the Gibbs free energy changes (Δ_rG) of the substitution reactions involved. Moreover, the replacement of η-OH₂ with F^- weakened the strength of Al-OH^a/b bonds and thus prompted the replacement of μ-OH^a/b with F^-. In addition, fluorination prompted [Al₁₃F₅]²⁺ to dissociate to oligomers.

One-dimensional nanowires of pseudoboehmite (aluminum oxyhydroxide γ-AlOOH)

We report the discovery of a 1D crystalline structure of aluminum oxyhydroxide. It was found in a commercial product of fibrous pseudoboehmite (PB), γ-AlOOH, synthesized easily with low cost. The thinnest fiber found was a ribbon-like structure of only two layers of an Al-O octahedral double sheet having a submicrometer length along its c axis and 0.68-nm thickness along its b axis. This thickness is only slightly larger than half of the lattice parameter of the b-axis unit cell of the boehmite crystal (b/2 = 0.61 nm). Moreover, interlayer splittings having an average width of 1 nm inside the fibrous PB are found. These wider interlayer spaces may have intercalation of water, which is suggested by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The fibers appear to grow as almost isolated individual filaments in aqueous Al-hydroxide sols and the growth direction of fibrous PB is always along its c axis.

Topological Control on Silicates' Dissolution Kinetics

Like many others, silicate solids dissolve when placed in contact with water. In a given aqueous environment, the dissolution rate depends on the composition and the structure of the solid and can span several orders of magnitude. Although the kinetics of dissolution depends on the complexities of both the dissolving solid and the solvent, a clear understanding of which structural descriptors of the solid control its dissolution rate is lacking. By pioneering dissolution experiments and atomistic simulations, we correlate the dissolution rates-ranging over 4 orders of magnitude-of a selection of silicate glasses and crystals to the number of chemical topological constraints acting between the atoms of the dissolving solid. The number of such constraints serves as an indicator of the effective activation energy, which arises from steric effects, and prevents the network from reorganizing locally to accommodate intermediate units forming over the course of the dissolution.

Predicting (17)O NMR chemical shifts of polyoxometalates using density functional theory

We have investigated the computation of (17)O NMR chemical shifts of a wide range of polyoxometalates using density functional theory. The effects of basis sets and exchange-correlation functionals are explored, and whereas pure DFT functionals generally predict the chemical shifts of terminal oxygen sites quite well, hybrid functionals are required for the prediction of accurate chemical shifts in conjunction with linear regression. By using PBE0/def2-tzvp//PBE0/cc-pvtz(H-Ar), lanl2dz(K-) we have computed the chemical shifts of 37 polyoxometalates, corresponding to 209 (17)O NMR signals. We also show that at this level of theory the protonation-induced pH dependence of the chemical shift of the triprotic hexaniobate Lindqvist anion, [HxNb6O19]((8-x)), can be reproduced, which suggests that hypotheses regarding loci of protonation can be confidently tested.

Pathways for oxygen-isotope exchange in two model oxide clusters

Coupled dynamic simulation and isotope-exchange studies of polyoxometalate ions stress the importance of metastable structural states.

Cadmium Stabilization Efficiency and Leachability by CdAl4O7 Monoclinic Structure

This study investigated the stabilization efficiencies of using an aluminum-rich precursor to incorporate simulated cadmium-bearing waste sludge and evaluated the leaching performance of the product phase. Cadmium oxide and γ-alumina mixtures with various Cd/Al molar ratios were fired at 800-1000 °C for 3 h. Cadmium could be crystallochemically incorporated by γ-alumina into CdAl4O7 monoclinic phase and the reaction was strongly controlled by the treatment temperature. The crystal structure details of CdAl4O7 were solved and refined with the Rietveld refinement method. According to the structural refinement results, the stabilization efficiencies were quantified and expressed as a transformation ratio (TR) with optimized processing parameters. The preferred treatment temperature was found to be 950 °C for mixtures with a Cd/Al molar ratio of 1/4, as its TR value indicated the cadmium incorporation was nearly completed after a 3 h treatment scheme. Constant-pH leaching tests (CPLT) were conducted by comparing the leachability of the CdO and CdAl4O7 phases in a pH 4.0 environment. A remarkable reduction in cadmium leachability could be achieved via monoclinic CdAl4O7 structure formation to effectively stabilize hazardous cadmium in the waste stream. The CPLT and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results suggested incongruent dissolution behavior during the leaching of the CdAl4O7 phase.

Insight on Tricalcium Silicate Hydration and Dissolution Mechanism from Molecular Simulations

Hydration of mineral surfaces, a critical process for many technological applications, encompasses multiple coupled chemical reactions and topological changes, challenging both experimental characterization and computational modeling. In this work, we used reactive force field simulations to understand the surface properties, hydration, and dissolution of a model mineral, tricalcium silicate. We show that the computed static quantities, i.e., surface energies and water adsorption energies, do not provide useful insight into predict mineral hydration because they do not account for major structural changes at the interface when dynamic effects are included. Upon hydration, hydrogen atoms from dissociated water molecules penetrate into the crystal, forming a disordered calcium silicate hydrate layer that is similar for most of the surfaces despite wide-ranging static properties. Furthermore, the dynamic picture of hydration reveals the hidden role of surface topology, which can lead to unexpected water tessellation that stabilizes the surface against dissolution.

Stabilization of simulated lead sludge with iron sludge via formation of PbFe₁₂O₁₉ by thermal treatment

This study investigated the feasibility of stabilizing lead sludge by reaction with iron sludge via the formation of PbFe12O19 through a thermal treatment process. Lead hydroxide was used to simulate lead-laden sludge and the sintering procedure was performed by firing a mixture of this simulated sludge together with iron sludge at a Fe/Pb molar ratio of 12 over the temperature range from 650 to 1400 °C. The accompanying phase transformations as well as the surface characteristic of sintered samples were observed by XRD and SEM, while the leaching behavior of the stabilized sludge in an acidic environment was evaluated by a modified Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test. The results confirmed that PbFe12O19 acts as a stabilization phase for lead, and showed that the formation of a PbFe12O19 phase began at 750 °C with the lead completely incorporated into the PbFe12O19 phase at 1050 °C. Above 1100 °C, the PbFe12O19 phase began to decompose, accompanied by the reappearance of Fe2O3. The volumes of compressed sludge samples were reduced significantly after thermal treatment, with accompanying volume reductions of 40% at 1050 °C. This study compared the leaching of lead from PbO and sintered sludge samples using a prolonged TCLP test, and the data showed that the PbFe12O19 phase was superior to the PbO and that the sintered sludge sample exhibited very high stability under acidic environments. These results suggest a promising and reliable method of reducing lead sludge mobility and toxicity has been identified.

Mechanisms of zinc incorporation in aluminosilicate crystalline structures and the leaching behaviour of product phases

This study quantitatively evaluates a waste-to-resource strategy of blending zinc-laden sludge and clay material for low-cost ceramic products. Using ZnO as the simulated zinc-laden sludge to sinter with kaolinite, both zinc aluminate spinel (ZnAl₂O₄) and willemite (Zn₂SiO₄) phases were formed during the sintering process. To analyse the details of zinc incorporation reactions, γ-Al₂O₃and quartz were further used as precursors to observe ZnAl₂O₄and Zn₂SiO₄formations. By firing the ZnO mixtures and their corresponding precursors at 750-1350°C for 3 h, the efficiency of zinc transformation was determined through Rietveld refinement analyses of X-ray diffraction data. The results also show different incorporation behaviour for kaolinite and mullite precursors during the formation of ZnAl2O₄and Zn2SiO₄in the system. In addition, with a competitive formation between ZnAl₂O₄and Zn₂SiO₄, the ZnAl₂O₄spinel phase is predominant at temperatures higher than 1050°C. This study used a prolonged leaching test modified from the US Environmental Protection Agency's toxicity characteristic leaching procedure to evaluate ZnO, ZnAl₂O₄, and Zn₂SiO₄product phases. The zinc concentrations in ZnO and Zn₂SiO₄leachates were about two orders of magnitude higher than that of ZnAl₂O₄ leachate at the end of the experiment, indicating that ZnAl₂O₄formation is the preferred stabilization mechanism for incorporating zinc in ceramic products.

Structure of water at charged interfaces: a molecular dynamics study

The properties of water molecules located close to an interface deviate significantly from those observed in the homogeneous bulk liquid. The length scale over which this structural perturbation persists (the so-called interfacial depth) is the object of extensive investigations. The situation is particularly complicated in the presence of surface charges that can induce long-range orientational ordering of water molecules, which in turn dictate diverse processes, such as mineral dissolution, heterogeneous catalysis, and membrane chemistry. To characterize the fundamental properties of interfacial water, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on alkali chloride solutions in the presence of two types of idealized charged surfaces: one with the charge density localized at discrete sites and the other with a homogeneously distributed charge density. We find that, in addition to a diffuse region where water orientation shows no layering, the interface region consists of a "compact layer" of solvent next to the surface that is not described in classical electric double layer theories. The depth of the diffuse solvent layer is sensitive to the type of charge distributions on the surface and the ionic strength. Simulations of the aqueous interface of a realistic model of negatively charged amorphous silica show that the water orientation and the distribution of ions strongly depend on the identity of the cations (Na(+) vs Cs(+)) and are not well represented by a simplistic homogeneous charge distribution model. While the compact layer shows different solvent net orientation and depth for Na(+) vs Cs(+), the depth (~1 nm) of the diffuse layer of oriented waters is independent of the identity of the cation screening the charge. The details of interfacial water orientation revealed here go beyond the traditionally used double and triple layer models and provide a microscopic picture of the aqueous/mineral interface that complements recent surface specific experimental studies.

Computational insight into the initial steps of the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism: electron transfer and surface defects in the reduction of polyoxometalates

Metal oxides as a rule oxidize and oxygenate substrates via the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. A well-defined α-Keggin polyoxometalate, H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40), can be viewed as an analogue of discrete structure that reacts via the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism both in solution and in the gas phase. Guided by previous experimental observations, we have studied the key intermediates on the reaction pathways of its reduction by various compounds using high-level DFT calculations. These redox reactions of polyoxometalates require protons, and thus such complexes were explicitly considered. First, the energetics of outer-sphere proton and electron transfer as well as coupled proton and electron transfer were calculated for seven substrates. This was followed by identification of possible key intermediates on the subsequent reaction pathways that feature displacement of the metal atom from the Keggin structure and coordinatively unsaturated sites on the H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40) surface. Such metal defects are favored at vanadium sites. For strong reducing agents the initial outer-sphere electron transfer, alone or possibly coupled with proton transfer, facilitates formation of metal defects. Subsequent coordination allows for formation of reactive ensembles on the catalyst surface, for which the selective oxygen-transfer step becomes feasible. Weak reducing agents do not facilitate defect formation by outer-sphere electron and/or proton transfers, and thus formation of metal defect structures prior to the substrate activation is suggested as an initial step. Calculated geometries and energies of metal defect structures support experimentally observed intermediates and demonstrate the complex nature of the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism.

Solution-phase electronegativity scale: insight into the chemical behaviors of metal ions in solution

By incorporating the solvent effect into the Born effective radius, we have proposed an electronegativity scale of metal ions in aqueous solution with the most common oxidation states and hydration coordination numbers in terms of the effective ionic electrostatic potential. It is found that the metal ions in aqueous solution are poorer electron acceptors compared to those in the gas phase. This solution-phase electronegativity scale shows its efficiency in predicting some important properties of metal ions in aqueous solution such as the aqueous acidities of the metal ions, the stability constants of metal complexes, and the solubility product constants of the metal hydroxides. We have elaborated that the standard reduction potential and the solution-phase electronegativity are two different quantities for describing the processes of metal ions in aqueous solution to soak up electrons with different final states. This work provides a new insight into the chemical behaviors of the metal ions in aqueous solution, indicating a potential application of this electronegativity scale to the design of solution reactions.

Oxide/water interfaces: how the surface chemistry modifies interfacial water properties

The organization of water at the interface with silica and alumina oxides is analysed using density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulation (DFT-MD). The interfacial hydrogen bonding is investigated in detail and related to the chemistry of the oxide surfaces by computing the surface charge density and acidity. We find that water molecules hydrogen-bonded to the surface have different orientations depending on the strength of the hydrogen bonds and use this observation to explain the features in the surface vibrational spectra measured by sum frequency generation spectroscopy. In particular, 'ice-like' and 'liquid-like' features in these spectra are interpreted as the result of hydrogen bonds of different strengths between surface silanols/aluminols and water.

Atomistic theory and simulation of the morphology and structure of ionic nanoparticles

Computational techniques are widely used to explore the structure and properties of nanomaterials. This review surveys the application of both quantum mechanical and force field based atomistic simulation methods to nanoparticles, with a particular focus on the methodologies available and the ways in which they can be utilised to study structure, phase stability and morphology. The main focus of this article is on partially ionic materials, from binary semiconductors through to mineral nanoparticles, with more detailed considered of three examples, namely titania, zinc sulphide and calcium carbonate.

Metastable structures and isotope exchange reactions in polyoxometalate ions provide a molecular view of oxide dissolution

Reactions involving minerals and glasses in water are slow and difficult to probe spectroscopically but are fundamental to the performance of oxide materials in green technologies such as automotive thermoelectric power generation, CO2 capture and storage and water-oxidation catalysis; these must be made from geochemically common elements and operate in hydrous environments. Polyoxometalate ions (POMs) have structures similar to condensed oxide phases and can be used as molecular models of the oxide/water interface. Oxygen atoms in POM exchange isotopes at different rates, but, at present, there is no basis for predicting how the coordination environment and metal substitution influences rates and mechanisms. Here we identify low-energy metastable configurations that form from the breaking of weak bonds between metals and underlying highly coordinated oxygen atoms, followed by facile hydroxide, hydronium or water addition. The mediation of oxygen exchange by these stuffed structures suggests a new view of the relationship between structure and reactivity at the oxide/solution interface.

Reaction dynamics and solution chemistry of polyoxometalates by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry both complements other analytical techniques and allows for types of analyses and experiments not possible with common analytical methods, such as NMR, IR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Electrospray constitutes one of the mildest forms of ionization, making it the preferred method for the analysis of large fragile or reactive ions. There is particular promise for mass spectrometry in aiding the characterization of polyoxometalates and their solutions, but caution must be taken in designing the experiments in order to yield reliable data and to avoid the temptation of over-interpreting the relevance of gas-phase data to solution chemistry.

Zinc stabilization efficiency of aluminate spinel structure and its leaching behavior

The feasibility of immobilizing zinc in contaminated soil was investigated by observing the role of zinc reacting with aluminum-rich materials under thermal conditions. To observe the process of zinc incorporation, mixtures of ZnO with alumina precursors (γ-Al(2)O(3) and α-Al(2)O(3)) were fired at 750-1450 °C. Both precursors crystallochemically incorporated zinc into the ZnAl(2)O(4) spinel structure. The incorporation efficiencies of a 3 h sintering scheme were first quantitatively determined by Rietveld refinement analysis of X-ray diffraction data. Different zinc incorporation behavior by these two precursors was revealed, although both resulted in nearly 100% transformation at the highest temperature. Different product microstructures and thermal densification effects were found by observing the sintered products from these two precursors. The leaching performances of ZnO and ZnAl(2)O(4) were compared by a prolonged acid leaching test for 22 d. The leachability analysis pointed to superiority of the ZnAl(2)O(4) structure in stabilizing zinc, suggesting a promising technique for incorporating zinc into the aluminum-rich product. Finally, the sludge collected from water treatment works was calcined and used as an aluminum-rich material to test its ability to stabilize zinc. Successful formation of ZnAl(2)O(4) indicated good potential for employing waterworks sludge to thermally immobilize hazardous metals as a promising waste-to-resource strategy.

Density functional theory study on aqueous aluminum-fluoride complexes: exploration of the intrinsic relationship between water-exchange rate constants and structural parameters for monomer aluminum complexes

Density functional theory (DFT) calculation is carried out to investigate the structures, (19)F and (27)Al NMR chemical shifts of aqueous Al-F complexes and their water-exchange reactions. The following investigations are performed in this paper: (1) the microscopic properties of typical aqueous Al-F complexes are obtained at the level of B3LYP/6-311+G**. Al-OH(2) bond lengths increase with F(-) replacing inner-sphere H(2)O progressively, indicating labilizing effect of F(-) ligand. The Al-OH(2) distance trans to fluoride is longer than other Al-OH(2) distance, accounting for trans effect of F(-) ligand. (19)F and (27)Al NMR chemical shifts are calculated using GIAO method at the HF/6-311+G** level relative to F(H(2)O)(6)(-) and Al(H(2)O)(6)(3+) references, respectively. The results are consistent with available experimental values; (2) the dissociative (D) activated mechanism is observed by modeling water-exchange reaction for [Al(H(2)O)(6-i)F(i)]((3-i)+) (i = 1-4). The activation energy barriers are found to decrease with increasing F(-) substitution, which is in line with experimental rate constants (k(ex)). The log k(ex) of AlF(3)(H(2)O)(3)(0) and AlF(4)(H(2)O)(2)(-) are predicted by three ways. The results indicate that the correlation between log k(ex) and Al-O bond length as well as the given transmission coefficient allows experimental rate constants to be predicted, whereas the correlation between log k(ex) and activation free energy is poor; (3) the environmental significance of this work is elucidated by the extension toward three fields, that is, polyaluminum system, monomer Al-organic system and other metal ions system with high charge-to-radius ratio.