Investigation of Layered Double Hydroxides Intercalated by Oxomolybdenum Catecholate Complexes

Abstract

Oxomolybdenum(VI) complexes of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-H 2dhb) have been incorporated into layered double hydroxides (LDHs) by treatment of the LDH-nitrate (Zn-Al, Mg-Al) or LDH-chloride (Li-Al) precursors with aqueous or water/ethanol solutions of the complex (NMe 4) 2[MoO 2(3,4-dhb) 2].2H 2O at 50 or 100 degrees C. The texture and chemical composition of the products were investigated by elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with coupled energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Microanalysis for N and EDS analysis for Cl showed that at least 90% of nitrate or chloride ions were replaced during the ion exchange reactions. The final Mo content in the materials varied between 6.5 and 11.6 wt %. Mo K-edge EXAFS analysis, supported by IR, Raman, UV-vis, and (13)C{ (1)H} CP/MAS NMR spectroscopic studies, showed the presence of cointercalated [MoO 2(3,4-dhb) 2] ( m- ) and [Mo 2O 5(3,4-dhb) 2] ( m- ) complexes in proportions that depend on the type of LDH support and the reaction conditions. The binuclear bis(catecholate) complex, with a Mo...Mo separation of 3.16 A, was the major species intercalated in the Zn-Al and Li-Al products prepared using only water as solvent. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) patterns of all the Mo-containing LDHs showed the formation of an expanded phase with a basal spacing around 15.4 A. High-resolution synchrotron XRPD patterns were indexed with hexagonal unit cells with a c-axis of either 30.7 (for Li-Al-Mo LDHs) or 45.9 A (for a Zn-Al-Mo LDH). Fourier maps ( F obs) calculated from the integrated intensities extracted from Le Bail profile decompositions indicated that the binuclear guest species are positioned such that the Mo --> Mo vector is parallel to the host layers, and the overall orientation of the complex is perpendicular to the same layers. The thermal behavior of selected materials was studied by variable-temperature XRPD, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).