title: Dehydration, dehydroxylation, and rehydroxylation of single-walled aluminosilicate nanotubes.
abstract: Single-walled metal oxide (aluminosilicate) nanotubes are excellent candidates for addressing the long-standing issue of functionalizing nanotube interiors, due to their high surface reactivity and controllable dimensions. However, functionalization of the nanotube interior is impeded by its high surface silanol density (9.1 -OH/nm(2)) and resulting hydrophilicity. Controlled dehydration of the nanotubes is critical for the success of functionalization efforts. We employ a range of solid-state characterization tools to elucidate dehydration and dehydroxylation phenomena in the nanotubes as a function of heat treatment up to 450 degrees C. Vibrational spectroscopy (Fourier transform infrared, FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TGA-MS), nitrogen physisorption, solid-state NMR, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal that a completely dehydrated condition is achieved at 250 degrees C under vacuum and that the maximum pore volume is achieved at 300 degrees C under vacuum due to partial dehydroxylation of the dehydrated nanotube. Beyond 300 degrees C, further dehydroxylation partially disorders the nanotube wall structure. However, a unique rehydroxylation mechanism can partially reverse these structural changes upon re-exposure to water vapor. Finally, detailed XRD simulations and experiments allow further insight into the nanotube packing, the dimensions, and the dependence of nanotube XRD patterns on the water content.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0100, USA.
authors.forename: Dun-Yen
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Arthur L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: McCanna
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Sankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nair