Evidences for the relationship between surface structure and reactivity of goethite nanoparticles based on advanced molecular-probe methods

Abstract

Surface properties of two goethites have been studied in order to compare the amount of acid surface sites and their distribution over the various surface domains. For this purpose, ammonia, pyridine and nitrogen were used as basic molecular probes. Calorimetry measurements of ammonia adsorption provided the image of the average surface acidity being moderate. This conclusion was supported by the moderate resistance of the adsorbed pyridine molecules to degassing conditions. Adsorption and desorption of pyridine prior to gaseous nitrogen adsorption resulting in masking/unmasking of acid surface sites on the goethite surface allowed confirmation of the acid character of the specific adsorption sites characterized by the high-energy adsorption of electron-donating molecular nitrogen. The amount of acid sites probed by nitrogen and ammonia were of the same order of magnitude but systematically higher for ammonia. The subsequent analysis of the argon and nitrogen derivatives of first-layer adsorption isotherm led to determine the distribution of {101} and {121} crystallographic faces and discuss the location of acid sites on these surface domains.