Synthesis and characterisation of the Fe(II–III) hydroxy-formate green rust

Abstract

A new methodology was envisioned in order to prepare green rust compounds build on organic anions that could intervene in microbiologically influenced corrosion processes of iron and steel. The formate ion was chosen as an example. The formation of rust was simulated by the oxidation of aqueous suspensions of Fe(OH)2 precipitated from Fe(II) lactate and sodium hydroxide, in the presence of sodium formate to promote the formation of the corresponding green rust. The evolution of the precipitate with time was followed by transmission Mossbauer spectroscopy at 15 K. It was observed that the initial hydroxide was transformed into a new GR compound. Its spectrum is composed of three quadrupole doublets, D 1 (δ=1.28 mm s−1, Δ=2.75 mm s−1) and D 2 (δ=1.28 mm s−1, Δ=2.48 mm s−1) that correspond to Fe(II) and D 3 (δ=0.49 mm s−1, Δ=0.37 mm s−1) that corresponds to Fe(III). The relative area of D 3, close to the proportion of Fe(III) in the GR, was found at 28.5±1.5% (∼2/7). Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the intermediate compound was a Fe(II–III) hydroxy-formate, GR(HCOO−).