title: Synthesis of microporous eskolaite from Cr(VI) using activated carbon as a reductant and template.
abstract: A novel technique has been devised for the synthesis of microporous α-Cr(2)O(3) (eskolaite). The technique was based on the formation of amorphous-Cr(2)O(3) onto microporous activated carbon through adsorption-reduction of dichromate ions (Cr(2)O(7)(2-)) at the activated carbon/aqueous solution interface. Then, the Cr(2)O(3)-loaded carbon was thermally processed under oxidizing conditions to remove the carbon and recover the chromium oxide as α-Cr(2)O(3). Both the Cr(2)O(3)-loaded carbon and the synthetic product were characterized by XRD, SEM, surface area and pore volume measurements. The synthetic eskolaite assayed 97.3% Cr(2)O(3) and its specific surface area was 15.48 m(2)/g and pore size of 16.1 Å.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Colima, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Carretera Colima-Coquimatlán km. 9.5, Coquimatlán, Colima 28400, Mexico.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz-Espinoza
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ibarra-Galván
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Valdivieso
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-González