Electron Beam Mediated Simple Synthetic Route to Preparing Layered Zinc Hydroxide

We have developed a novel and eco-friendly synthetic route for the preparation of a two-dimensional layered zinc hydroxide with intercalated nitrate anions. The layered zinc hydroxide nitrate, called 'zinc basic salt', was, in general, successfully synthesized, using an electron beam irradiation technique. The 2-propanol solutions containing hydrated zinc nitrate were directly irradiated with an electron-beam at room temperature, under atmospheric conditions, without stabilizers or base molecules. Under electron beam irradiation, the reactive OH radicals were generated by radiolysis of water molecules in precursor metal salts. After further radiolytic processes, the hydroxyl anions might be formed by the reaction of solvated electrons and the OH radical. Finally, the $Zn_5(OH)_8(NO_3)_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ was precipitated by the reaction of zinc cation and hydroxyl anions. Structure and morphology of obtained compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The chemical components of the products were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and elemental analysis (EA). The thermal behavior of products was studied by thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA).