The decomposition of the layered double hydroxides of Co and Al: phase segregation of a new single phase spinel oxide

Abstract

Monophasic Co-Al-CO3-like layered double hydroxides has been prepared by the coprecipitation method. It has been characterised by Rietveld refinement of the X-ray powder diffraction pattern, DTA-TGA, infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Its structure is trigonal, R3̅m with cell parameters a=0.3061(4) nm and c=2.252 (3) nm. The decomposition of this hydrotalcite-like structure on heating up to 800 °C yields to a single phase spinel oxide. Besides, infrared and Raman spectroscopies showed the presence of spinel-like domains. The results of Rietveld refinement have revealed that this compound has the Fd3̅m space group (a=0.8088(4) nm), with crystallographic formula [Co(II)0.75Al0.25](8a)[Co(II)0.252Co(III)0.77Al0.98](16d)O4, which is of the general formula Co1.77Al1.23O4. This structure is also validated by the charge distribution (CD) analysis.

Keywords: Infrared spectroscopy; Inorganic compounds; Raman spectroscopy; Rietveld; X-ray diffraction.