Synthesis of Hydrotalcites from Waste Steel Slag with [Bmim]OH Intercalated for the Transesterification of Glycerol Carbonate.

Ca-Mg-Al hydrotalcites were prepared by coprecipitation from Type S95 steel slag of Shanghai Baosteel Group as supports of ionic liquid in this paper. Five basic ionic liquids [Bmim][CH3COO], [Bmim][HCOO], [Bmim]OH, [Bmim]Br and ChOH were prepared and their catalytic performance on the synthesis of glycerol carbonate by transesterification between dimethyl carbonate and glycerol was investigated. The characterization results indicated that [Bmim]OH is the best ionic liquid (IL) for the transesterification reaction of glycerol carbonate. The hydrotalcites before and after intercalation by ionic liquid were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS and the IL were characterized by FT-IR, 13C-NMR and basicity determination via the Hammett method. The analysis results implied that the dispersion of [Bmim]OH in hydrotalcites reduced the alkali density appropriately and facilitated the generation of glycerol carbonate. The yield of glycerol carbonate and the conversion rate of glycerol reached 95.0% and 96.1%, respectively, when the molar ratio of dimethyl carbonate and glycerol was 3:1, the catalyst dosage was 3 wt%, the reaction temperature was 75 °C and the reaction time was 120 min. The layered structure of hydrotalcites increased the stability of ionic liquid intercalated in carriers, thus the glycerol conversion and the GC yield still remained 91.9% and 90.5% in the fifth reaction cycle.

Design of γ-AlOOH, γ-MnOOH, and α-Mn2O3 nanorods as advanced antibacterial active agents.

In the current study, γ-AlOOH, γ-MnOOH, and α-Mn2O3 nanorods (NRs) were easily synthesized and applied as advanced antibacterial materials. γ-AlOOH NRs with 20 nm width, [100] crystal plane, and 200 nm length were fabricated through a surfactant-directed solvothermal method. γ-MnOOH NRs with 20 nm width, [101] crystal direction and 500 nm length were fabricated through a hydrothermal method. The prepared γ-MnOOH NRs were calcinated (for 5 h) at 700 °C to produce α-Mn2O3 NRs with 20 nm average width and increased surface area. The NRs' structures were confirmed through FT-IR, XRD, XPS, FESEM, and FETEM. The antibacterial activity of the NRs was studied against different Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains and yeast. The three NRs exhibited antibacterial activity against all of the used strains. Biological studies indicated that the NRs' antimicrobial activity increased in the order of γ-MnOOH < γ-AlOOH < α-Mn2O3 NRs. The α-Mn2O3 NRs exhibited the lowest MIC value (39 µg mL-1) against B. subtilis, B. pertussis, and P. aeruginosa. The prepared NRs exhibited a higher antimicrobial potential toward Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. The higher antimicrobial activity of the α-Mn2O3 NRs is highlighted based on their larger surface area and smaller diameter. Consequently, uniform NR architectures, single crystallinity, small nanoscale diameters, and more highly exposed [110] Mn-polar surfaces outwards are promising structures for α-Mn2O3 antibacterial agents. These NRs adhered firmly to the bacterial cells causing cell wrapping and morphology disruption, and microbial death. The designed NRs provide a great platform for microbial growth inhibition.

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethanol over Vanadium- and Molybdenum-modified Mg-Al Mixed Oxide Derived from Hydrotalcite.

Hydrotalcite or Mg-Al LDHs were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The Mg-Al mixed oxide was then derived by calcination of hydrotalcite at 450°C. The metal modified catalysts (Mo/Mg-Al and V/Mg-Al) were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation method. The obtained catalysts were characterized by several useful techniques and tested the reactivity for dehydrogenation and oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol (gas-phase) to produce acetaldehyde. The catalytic reactions were performed at temperature range from 200 to 400°C for both non-oxidative and oxidative atmospheres. The results showed that the vanadium-modified hydrotalcite (V/Mg-Al) exhibited the highest ethanol conversion (34.3%) and acetaldehyde yield (15.5%) at 400℃ in the non-oxidative atmosphere. For the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol, the V/Mg-Al catalyst showed the highest activity at 400°C giving the ethanol conversion and acetaldehyde yield of 73.7% and 29.5%, respectively. This result probably related to the highest base density of V/Mg-Al catalyst (6.13 µmol CO2/m2) measured by CO2-TPD. The catalytic activity of Mg-Al catalyst and metal modified catalyst slightly decreased upon time-on-stream test for 10 h on oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol due to carbon deposition.

Gd(III)-Doped Boehmite Nanoparticle: An Emergent Material for the Fluorescent Sensing of Cr(VI) in Wastewater and Live Cells.

This article reports the effect of Gd(III) doping on the structure, microstructure, and optical properties of boehmite nanoparticles. The bright-blue fluorescence along with a long lifetime makes our material an efficient candidate for optical applications. Our material particularly targets and eliminates hexavalent chromium ions (Cr(VI)) from aqueous media, which turns it into a multifunctional fluorescent nanosensor (MFNS). The development of an efficient hexavalent chromium ion (Cr(VI)) sensor to detect and quantify Cr(VI) ions is still a serious issue worldwide. Thus, this work will be very beneficial for various environmental applications. No such work has been reported so far which includes cost-effective and biocompatible boehmite nanoparticles in this field. Detailed synthesis and characterization procedures for the MFNS have been incorporated here. The biocompatibility of the MFNS has also been studied rigorously by performing cell survivability assay (MTT) and cellular morphology assessments. Our extensive research confirmed that the "turn-off" sensing mechanism of this sensor material is based on a collisional quenching model which initiates the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process. High selectivity and sensitivity (∼1.05 × 10-5 M) of the MFNS toward hexavalent chromium ions even in real life wastewater samples have been confirmed, which makes this fluorescent probe a potential candidate for new age imaging and sensing technologies.

Characterization and Structure⁻Property Relationships of Organic⁻Inorganic Hybrid Composites Based on Aluminum⁻Magnesium Hydroxycarbonate and Azo Chromophore.

In this study, novel organic⁻inorganic composites were prepared by the complexation of dicarboxylic azo dye (AD) with aluminum⁻magnesium hydroxycarbonate (AlMg⁻LH). This procedure provides an effective method for the stabilization of dicarboxylic organic chromophores on an AlMg-LH host. The structures of the hybrid composites were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), 27-Al solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The TOF-SIMS method was applied to investigate the metal⁻dye interactions and to monitor the thermal stability of the organic⁻inorganic complexes. Secondary ion mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of a characteristic peak for C18H10O5N2Mg22+, indicating that both carboxylic groups interacted with AlMg-LH by forming complexes with two Mg2+ ions. Modification with hybrid pigments affected the crystal structure of the AlMg-LH mineral, as shown by the appearance of new peaks on the X-ray diffraction patterns. Adsorption of the dicarboxylic chromophore not only led to significantly enhanced solvent resistance but also improved the thermal and photostability of the hybrid pigments. We propose a possible arrangement of the azo dye in the inorganic matrix, as well as the presumed mechanism of stabilization.

Sol-gel derived boehmite nanostructures is a versatile nanoplatform for biomedical applications.

Alumina is one of the most promising carriers for drug delivery due to the long history of its usage as a vaccine adjuvant. Sol-gel synthesis provides excellent conditions for entrapment of biomolecules within an inorganic cage providing stabilization of proteins under the extremal conditions. In this paper, we show in vitro investigation of monodisperse alumina xerogel nanocontainers (AXNCs) using bovine serum albumin as a model protein entrapped in sol-gel alumina building blocks. Particularly, dose and cell-type dependent cytotoxicity in HeLa and A549 cancer cell lines were employed as well as investigation of antibacterial effect and stability of AXNCs in different biological media. It was shown, that the release of entrapped protein could be provided only in low pH buffer (as in cancer cell cytoplasm). This property could be applied for anticancer drug development. We also discovered boehmite nanoparticles effect on horizontal gene transfer and observed the appearance of antibiotic resistance by means of exchanging of the corresponding plasmid between two different E. coli strains. The present work may help to understand better the influence of AXNCs on various biological systems, such as prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and the activity of AXNCs in different biological media.

Self-stacking of exfoliated charged nanosheets of LDHs and graphene as biosensor with real-time tracking of dopamine from live cells.

This study introduces a new strategy for periodic stacking of positively charged NiAl layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanosheets with negatively charged monolayers of graphene (G) by systematically optimizing several parameters in a controlled co-feeding fashion and resultant heterostacked NiAl LDH/G LBL nanocomposites have been practically applied in sensitive detection of dopamine released from live cells as early Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnostic tool. PD is the second most chronic neurodegenerative disorder with gradual progressive loss of movement and muscle control causing substantial disability and threatening the life seriously. Unfortunately majority of dopaminergic neurons present in substantia nigra of PD patients are destroyed before it is being clinically diagnosed, so early stages PD diagnosis is essential. Because of direct neighboring of extremely conductive graphene to semiconductive LDHs layers, enhanced intercalation capability of LDHs, and huge surface area with numerous active sites, good synergy effect is harvested in heteroassembled NiAl LDH/G LBL material, which in turn shows admirable electrocatalytic ability in DA detection. The interference induced by UA and AA is effectively eliminated especially after the modifying the electrode with Nafion. The outstanding electrochemical sensing performance of NiAl LDH/G LBL modified electrode has been achieved in terms of broad linear range and lowest real detection limit of 2 nM (S/N = 3) towards DA oxidation. Benefitting from superior efficiency, biosensor has been successfully used for real-time in-vitro tracking of DA efflux from live human nerve cell after being stimulated. We believe that our biosensing platform of structurally integrated well-ordered LBL heteroassembly by inserting graphene directly to the interlayer galleries of LDHs material will open up new avenue in diseases determination window.

Preparation and characterization of novel magnetic Fe3O4/chitosan/Al(OH)3 beads and its adsorption for fluoride.

A novel magnetic bioadsorbent beads composed of Fe3O4, chitosan, and Al(OH)3 (Fe3O4/CS/Al(OH)3) was synthesized by a modified solvothermal and in-situ reaction. The composite adsorbent was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. Adsorption toward F- onto Fe3O4/CS/Al(OH)3 was investigated as a function of Fe3O4 concentration, initial solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial fluorion concentration, co-existing ions in water and initial temperature. The addition of Fe3O4 could enhance the adsorption properties of CS/Al(OH)3. The saturated adsorption capacity of magnetic Fe3O4/CS/Al(OH)3 calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model was 76.63mg/g at 298K. The adsorption isotherm of F- followed Langmuir isotherm model and the adsorption kinetics fitted better to the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The influence of temperature confirmed that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. The magnetic Fe3O4/CS/Al(OH)3 beads could be easily separated from water under a low magnetic field.

Facile Preparation of Ultrafine Aluminum Hydroxide Particles with or without Mesoporous MCM-41 in Ambient Environments.

An aqueous suspension of nanogibbsite was synthesized via the titration of aluminum aqua acid [Al(H2O)6]3+ with L-arginine to pH 4.6. Since the hydrolysis of aqueous aluminum salts is known to produce a wide array of products with a wide range of size distributions, a variety of state-of-the-art instruments (i.e., 27Al/1H NMR, FTIR, ICP-OES, TEM-EDX, XPS, XRD, and BET) were used to characterize the synthesis products and identification of byproducts. The product, which was comprised of nanoparticles (10-30 nm), was isolated using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) column technique. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) identified the purified material as the gibbsite polymorph of aluminum hydroxide. The addition of inorganic salts (e.g., NaCl) induced electrostatic destabilization of the suspension, thereby agglomerating the nanoparticles to yield Al(OH)3 precipitate with large particle sizes. By utilizing the novel synthetic method described here, Al(OH)3 was partially loaded inside the highly ordered mesoporous framework of MCM-41, with average pore dimensions of 2.7 nm, producing an aluminosilicate material with both octahedral and tetrahedral Al (Oh/Td = 1.4). The total Al content, measured using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), was 11% w/w with a Si/Al molar ratio of 2.9. A comparison of bulk EDX with surface X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) elemental analysis provided insight into the distribution of Al within the aluminosilicate material. Furthermore, a higher ratio of Si/Al was observed on the external surface (3.6) as compared to the bulk (2.9). Approximations of O/Al ratios suggest a higher concentration of Al(O)3 and Al(O)4 groups near the core and external surface, respectively. The newly developed synthesis of Al-MCM-41 yields a relatively high Al content while maintaining the integrity of the ordered silica framework and can be used for applications where hydrated or anhydrous Al2O3 nanoparticles are advantageous.

Removal of boron from oilfield wastewater via adsorption with synthetic layered double hydroxides.

Hydrotalcite is a layered double hydroxide (LDH) consisting of brucite-like sheets of metal ions (Mg-Al). In this work, hydrotalcites were synthesized, and boron removal from oilfield wastewater was evaluated. LDHs were synthesized using the co-precipitation method. The calcined products (CLDHs) were obtained by heating at 500°C and characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, thermogravimetric analysis and the specific surface area (BET). The affinity of LDHs for borate ions was evaluated for calcined and uncalcined LDHs as a function of contact time, initial pH of the oilfield wastewater (pH ∼ 9) and the LDH surface area. The tests were conducted at room temperature (approximately 25ºC). The results indicated that 10 min were needed to reach a state of equilibrium during boron removal for calcined LDHs due to the high surface area (202.3 m(2) g(-1)) regardless of the initial pH of the oilfield wastewater, which resulted from the high buffering capacity of the LDHs. The adsorption capacity increased as the adsorbents levels increased for the range studied. After treatment of the oilfield wastewater containing 30 mg L(-1) of boron with Mg-Al-CO3-LDHs, the final concentration of boron was within the discharge limit set by current Brazilian environmental legislation, which is 5 mg L(-1). Pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were tested, and the latter was found to fit the experimental data better. Isotherms for boron adsorption by CLDHs were well described using the Langmuir and Freundlich equations.

Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of simple aluminum-based adsorbents for fluoride removal from drinking water.

Simple aluminum (hydr)oxides and layered double hydroxides were synthesized using common chemicals and equipment by varying synthesis temperature, concentrations of extra sulfate and citrate, and metal oxide amendments. Aluminum (hydr)oxide samples were aged at either 25 or 200°C during synthesis and, in some cases, calcined at 600 °C. Despite yielding increased crystallinity and mineral phase changes, higher temperatures had a generally negative effect on fluoride adsorption. Addition of extra sulfate during synthesis of aluminum (hydr)oxides led to significantly higher fluoride adsorption capacity compared to aluminum (hydr)oxides prepared with extra citrate or no extra ligands. X-ray diffraction results suggest that extra sulfate led to the formation of both pseudoboehmite (γ-AlOOH) and basaluminite (Al4SO4(OH)10⋅4H2O) at 200 °C; energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of sulfur in this solid. Treatment of aluminum (hydr)oxides with magnesium, manganese, and iron oxides did not significantly impact fluoride adsorption. While layered double hydroxides exhibited high maximum fluoride adsorption capacities, their adsorption capacities at dissolved fluoride concentrations close to the World Health Organization drinking water guideline of 1.5 mg L(-1) were much lower than those for the aluminum (hydr)oxides.

Coupling physical chemical techniques with hydrotalcite-like compounds to exploit their structural features and new multifunctional hybrids with luminescent properties.

Hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTlc), belonging to the large class of Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH), have excited wide interest owing to the incredible number of their potential and achieved applications in physical, chemical and bio-chemical fields. This perspective review deals with recent advances in the application of physical-chemical techniques for the study of HTlc structure and for the design and synthesis, using intercalation chemistry routes, of new hybrid materials. Firstly, a rapid survey on the most common synthetic strategies for the attainment of HTlc with different crystallinity degree and crystal size and for their modification to obtain hybrids has been made, and the use of coupled techniques (XRPD, luminescence, Solid State MAS NMR and Molecular Dynamics) to gain structural information is reported. Then, the design, synthesis and photophysical characterization of azoic dyes-intercalated and co-intercalated HTlc hybrid materials are described. Hybrids constituted of ZnAl-HTlc, co-intercalated with stearate anions and methyl orange or methyl yellow dyes, have been used as nanofillers of hydrophobic polymers. The polymeric nano-composites obtained have been characterized by means of XRPD patterns, Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis and Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy. This latter technique has been found to be an excellent, complementary and non-invasive tool to probe the dispersion degree of the fluorescent fillers into the polymeric matrices and their stability in the compounding process. Finally, the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of nanoparticle (NP) decorated HTlc for advanced antimicrobial and photo-catalytic applications are also reported. The review terminates with a concluding short note and future trends.

Removal of bisphenol A from aqueous solution by a dodecylsulfate ion-intercalated hydrotalcite-like compound.

A Mg-Al hydrotalcite-like compound (HTlc) and a dodecylsufate ion-intercalated Mg-Al HTlc (MHTlc) were prepared. The effects of temperature, ionic strength, and initial pH on the adsorptions ofbisphenol A (BPA) on both HTlc and MHTlc were studied in detail. The adsorption capacity of the pristine HTlc for BPA was low, and the adsorption was due to the substitution of surface anions within the pristine HTlc by the hydroxybenzene anion that was dissociated from BPA. The adsorption capacity for BPA increased notably with modification. The high adsorption capacity of MHTlc for BPA was mainly due to the dissolution of BPA molecules into the hydrophobic organic phase formed in the interlayers of MHTlc. The adsorption capacity of MHTlc for BPA decreased with increasing temperature and initial pH, but increased when increasing the ionic strength.

Preparation of high concentration polyaluminum chloride by chemical synthesis-membrane distillation method with self-made hollow fiber membrane.

A method of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) with a self-made hollow polyvinylidene fluoride membrane was applied to prepare high concentration polyaluminum chloride (PACl) with high A1b content based on chemical synthesis. The permeate flux and A1 species distribution were investigated. The experimental results showed that the permeate flux decreased from 14 to 6 kg/(m2 x hr) at the end of the DCMD process, which can be mainly attributed to the formation of NaCl deposits on the membrane surface. The Alb content decreased slightly, only from 86.3% to 84.4%, when the DCMD experiment finished, correspondingly the A1c content increased slightly from 7.2% to 8.5%, and the A1a content remained at 7% during the whole DCMD process. A PACl with A1b content of 84% at total aluminum concentration 2.2 mol/L was successfully prepared by the chemical synthesis-DCMD method.

Formation of layered Fe(II)-Al(III)-hydroxides during reaction of Fe(II) with aluminum oxide.

The reactivity of aqueous Fe(II) with aluminum oxide in anoxic solutions was investigated with batch kinetic experiments combined with Fe K edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements to characterize Fe(II) sorption products. Formation of Fe(II)-Al(III)-layered double hydroxides with an octahedral sheet structure similar to nikischerite (NaFe(II)(6) Al(3)(SO(4))(2)(OH)(18) (H(2)O)(12)) was observed within a few hours during sorption at pH 7.5 and aqueous Fe(II) concentrations of 1-3 mM. These Fe(II) phases are composed of brucite-like Fe(II)(OH)(2) sheets with partial substitution of Al(III) for Fe(II), charge balanced by anions coordinated along the basal planes. Their fast rate of formation suggests that these previously unrecognized Fe(II) phases, which are structurally and compositionally similar to green rust, may be an important sink of Fe(II) in suboxic and anoxic geochemical environments, and impact the fate of structurally compatible trace metals, such as Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II), as well as redox-reactive species including Cr(VI) and U(VI). Further studies are required to assess the thermodynamics, formation kinetics, and stability of these Fe(II) minerals under field conditions.

Competitive adsorption characteristics of fluoride and phosphate on calcined Mg-Al-CO3 layered double hydroxides.

With synthetic wastewater, competitive adsorption characteristics of fluoride and phosphate on calcined Mg-Al-CO(3) layered double hydroxides (CLDH) were investigated. A series of batch experiments were performed to study the influence of various experimental parameters, such as pH, contact time, and order of addition of the anions on the competitive adsorption of fluoride and phosphate on CLDH. It was found that the optimal pH is around 6 and it took 24 h to attain equilibrium when fluoride and phosphate were simultaneous added. The order of addition of anions influenced the adsorption of fluoride and phosphate on CLDH. The kinetic data were analyzed using the pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order models and they were found to fit very well the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Data of equilibrium experiments were fitted well to Langmuir isotherm and the competitive monolayer adsorption capacities of fluoride and phosphate were found to be obviously lower than those of single anion at 25 °C. The results of X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analyses, and ATR-FTIR demonstrate that the adsorption mechanism involves the rehydration of mixed metal oxides and concomitant intercalation of fluoride and phosphate ions into the interlayer to reconstruct the initial LDHs structure.

The synthesis and spectroscopic characterisation of hydrotalcite formed from aluminate solutions.

Raman spectroscopy has been used to characterise nine hydrotalcites prepared from aluminate and magnesium solutions (magnesium chloride and seawater). The aluminate hydrotalcites are proposed to have the following formula Mg(6)Al(2)(OH)(16)(CO(3)(2-))·xH(2)O, Mg(6)Al(2)(OH)(16)(CO(3)(2-),SO(4)(2-))·xH(2)O, and Mg(6)Al(2)(OH)(16)(SO(4)(2-))·xH(2)O. The synthesis of these hydrotalcites using seawater results in the intercalation of sulfate anions into the hydrotalcite interlayer. The spectra have been used to assess the molecular assembly of the cations and anions in the hydrotalcite structures. The spectra have been conveniently subdivided into spectral features based upon the carbonate anion, the hydroxyl units and water units. This investigation has shown the ideal conditions to form hydrotalcite from aluminate solutions is at pH 14 using a magnesium chloride solution at a volumetric ratio of 1:1. Changes in synthesis conditions resulted in the formation of impurity products aragonite, thenardite, and gypsum.

Large-scale synthesis of hierarchical flowerlike boehmite architectures.

Three-dimensional flowerlike boehmite architectures were synthesized on a large scale via a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method. The XRD pattern showed that the AlOOH was fully crystallized and exhibited an orthorhombic phase. SEM and TEM images indicated that the flowerlike AlOOH architectures, consisting of nanosheets of 50 nm in thickness, were 550-800 nm in diameters and 1 µm in lengths. SAED pattern revealed that the flowerlike AlOOH was polycrystalline. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurement indicated that hierarchical AlOOH architectures had Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of about 70.1 m(2)/g. The effects of reaction times and the surfactant on the morphologies were also investigated. It was found that CTAB played a crucial role. The formation mechanism of the flowerlike AlOOH architectures was proposed and discussed based on the experimental results.

Synthesis of polyaluminum chloride with a membrane reactor: process characteristics and membrane fouling.

Polyaluminum chloride was synthesized with a membrane reactor, in which NaOH was added into AlCl3 solution through the membrane's micropores to reduce the NaOH droplets size. The content of the most efficient species increased to about 80%. The process characteristics in the reaction (i.e., flow velocity, pressure drop), and membrane fouling and cleaning were investigated. The evolution of both flow velocity and pressure drop during the reaction were related to changes in species distribution and solution viscosity. The process characteristics were well interpreted in terms of the Bernoulli equation. After reaction, the membranes were recovered by cleaning with diluted hydrochloride acid. This study is crucial for process design and scale-up of membrane reactors.

Nanogibbsite: synthesis and characterization.

Nanogibbsite was synthesized using a supersaturated Al(OH)(3) solution which was prepared by titration of AlCl(3) with NaOH at pH 4.6. Excess chloride ions in the system were stripped off by dialyzing the Al(OH)(3) suspension against distilled water. The dialysis step is critical for initiation of gibbsite crystallization or the Al(OH)(3) suspension would remain amorphous. Chloride ions seem to mask the seeding sites and so retard the overall process of gibbsite formation. When subjected to heat treatment, gibbsite→alumina conversion occurred by two mechanisms. Nanogibbsite→α-alumina phase transition occurred forming χ- and κ-alumina polymorphs.