Carbonates stabilize interstratified α/β intermediates in the preparation of nickel hydroxide
摘要
The phases formed by alkaline precipitation of Ni(OH)2 at different temperatures and different levels of carbonate and nitrate anions have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, TG-MS, N2 physisorption and cyclic voltammetry. The dehydration-deanionization of α- to β-Ni(OH)2 passes through an interstratified intermediate IS-Ni(OH)2, which can be stabilized at 80 °C in the presence of carbonates. IS-Ni(OH)2 materials have been prepared with CO32−/Ni2+ ratio ranging from 0.05 to 0.16, resulting in different ratios of interstratified α and β phase layers. IS-Ni(OH)2, thermally stable up to 200 °C, presents a peculiar ink-bottle mesoporosity and surface area higher than 100 m2 g−1. The material is promising for electrocatalytic applications on the basis of the textural properties and a reproducible reduction potential of 0.37 V versus SCE. The easily reversible reducibility of Ni2+ is also shown by the TG-MS of the thermal dehydroxylation-deanionization to NiO, evidencing transient Ni3+ species formed by reaction with NOx emitted from the decomposition of nitrates.
Graphical abstract