Preparation and mechanism analysis of nano-Mg(OH)2 by electroconversion of MgCl2

Abstract

The preparation and application of porous laminated nanomaterials have been widely concerned because of their large surface area, abundant active sites, and enhanced mass transmission and diffusion. This study used a simple and economical method to synthesize metal hydroxide by the cationic membrane electroconversion synthesis method (CMESM). However, CMESM is not a typical metal electrodeposition process, it is a pseudoelectrolysis process, there is no gain or loss of metal electrons, but metal deposits will be generated. Therefore, its mechanism cannot be studied by conventional electrochemical methods. Thus, we change the research ideas, take the cheap and easy-to-obtain MgCl2·6H2O as raw material, use the chemical precipitation method and the cation membrane permeation method as comparative experiments, study the effect of different current densities on the product, and discuss the mechanism of CMESM. The results show that the Mg(OH)2 nanosheets are electric field induced and assembled into a three-dimensional porous layered petal structure with a large specific surface area and aperture. The metal hydroxides with low cost and high purity can be prepared by cationic membrane electrolytic synthesis.