Ion Exchange of Layered Alkali Titanates (Na2Ti3O7, K2Ti4O9, and Cs2Ti5O11) with Alkali Halides by the Solid-State Reactions at Room Temperature

Switching metals by simply grinding

30 June 2020

A family of functional materials with a layered nanosheet structure can be created simply by grinding the starting materials together at room temperature and pressure.

Layered transition-metal oxides based on titanium oxide have a range of potential uses, including as photocatalysts and battery components. These materials can incorporate atom-thin layers of other metals between their titanium oxide sheets — and the metal selected can alter the overall material’s properties.

A simple method for changing the intercalating metal has been developed by three researchers at Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC). They found that grinding particles of the layered material with a metal salt initiated an ion-exchange reaction, allowing intercalating caesium ions to be replaced with lithium ions, for example.

The technique might produce materials that cannot be made by other methods, and may generate materials with useful properties.

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References

1. Inorganic Chemistry 59, 4024–4029 (2020). doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b03695