Structural, textural, surface basic and catalytic properties of an aged Mg/Al layered double hydroxide and its calcination products

Abstract

The influence of the length of an aging treatment on the structural and textural properties of a 2:1 Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) obtained by coprecipitation under low oversaturation conditions was examined. Increasing the aging time led to more crystalline solids consisting of increasingly large crystals; also, however, it reduced the number of macropores and decreased the specific surface area of the solids. Calcination of the LDH gave a basic mixed oxide [Mg(Al)O]. Extending the aging treatment increased the number of surface basic sites in the mixed oxide. All solids were characterized by using various instrumental techniques and used as catalysts in the Baeyer–Villiger reaction, where the calcined materials exhibited the best catalytic properties. Also, all catalysts were reusable with no appreciable loss of activity.