GUAN Hongbo, WANG Pei, ZHAO Biying, ZHU Yuexiang, XIE Youchang
Nanometer MgO samples with high surface area, small crystal size and mesoporous texture were synthesized by thermal decomposition of MgC2O4·2H2O prepared from solid-state chemical reaction between H2C2O4·2H2O and Mg (CH3COO)2·H2O. Steam produced during the decomposition process accelerated the sintering of MgO, and MgO with surface area as high as 412 m2·g-1 was obtained through calcining its precursor in flowing dry nitrogen at 520°C for 4 h. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential thermal analysis. The as-prepared MgO was composed of nanocrystals with a size of about 4-5 nm and formed a wormhole-like porous structure. The MgO also had good thermal stability, and its surface areas remained at 357 and 153 m2·g-1 after calcination at 600 and 800°C for 2 h, respectively. Compared with the MgO sample prepared by the precipitation method, MgO prepared by solid-state chemical reaction has uniform pore size distribution, surface area, and crystal size. The solid-state chemical method has the advantages of low cost, low pollution, and high yield, therefore it appears to be a promising method in the industrial manufacture of nanometer MgO.