Precipitation and growth of magnesium hydroxide nanopetals on zeolite 4A surfaces

Abstract

We have studied the precipitation and growth of magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH) 2 nanopetals on zeolite 4A particles dispersed in aqueous magnesium chloride solutions at 298 K. We show that the precipitation of these petal-like nanostructures can be achieved by the addition of ammonium hydroxide to aqueous magnesium chloride, and their growth can be controlled by concentration and pH. We propose a mechanism for nanocomposite formation driven by acid–base interactions between the bridging hydroxyl groups on the zeolite surface and weakly basic Mg(OH) 2.