The Mechanism of Mechanochemical Interaction between Amorphous Silicon Dioxide and Pyrocatechol

Abstract

The products of solid-phase mechanochemical interaction between pyrocatechol and silicon dioxide yielding a powdered composite were studied using a number of physicochemical methods. This interaction is shown to give rise to surface complexes via the reaction of silanol groups and other active sites on the silicon dioxide surface with the hydroxyl group of pyrocatechol. The interaction efficiency increases with rising number of surface hydroxyl groups. The hypotheses regarding the possible mechanisms for this reaction are put forward. The potential surface complex species (intermediates) that play a decisive role in obtaining of soluble chelate complexes of silicon by adding water to the composites are proposed. Obtaining the composites that contain surface complexes is an efficient method to enhance the silicon dioxide solubility due to complexation.