A thermally stable 3 x 3 octahedral molecular sieve corresponding to natural todorokite (OMS-1) has been synthesized by autoclaving layer-structure manganese oxides, which are prepared by reactions of MnO(4)(-) and Mn(2+) under markedly alkaline conditions. The nature and thermal stability of products depend strongly on preparation parameters, such as the MnO(4)(-)/Mn(2+) ratio, pH, aging, and autoclave conditions. The purest and the most thermally stable todorokite is obtained at a ratio of 0.30 to 0.40. Autoclave treatments at about 150 degrees to 180 degrees C for more than 2 days yield OMS-1, which is as thermally stable (500 degrees C) as natural todorokite minerals. Adsorption data give a tunnel size of 6.9 angstroms and an increase of cyclohexane or carbon tetrachloride uptake with dehydration temperature up to 500 degrees C. At 600 degrees C, the tunnel structure collapses. Both Lewis and Brönsted acid sites have been observed in OMS-1. Particular applications of these materials include adsorption, electrochemical sensors, and oxidation catalysis.

The synthesis of semiconducting nanocrystals of manganese oxide of controlled sizes and their manipulation to form ordered arrays is described. Nanocrystalline mixed-valent manganese oxides have been prepared as colloidal solutions via reduction of tetraalkylammonium (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl) permanganate salts in aqueous solutions with 2-butanol and ethanol. Reduction with the poorly water miscible 2-butanol produces aqueous colloids for the methyl, ethyl, and propyl systems, whereas 2-butanol colloids are produced for the butyl system. The colloids are reddish-brown, have an average manganese oxidation state of 3.70−3.79, and have been prepared in manganese concentrations up to 0.57 M. The sols will gel upon aging, and the gel time depends on the cation, the amount of alcohol, the temperature, and the concentration of manganese. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) data indicate that the particles are disklike in shape with radii in the range 20−80 Å and are largely unassociated in solution. Thin films produced from evaporation of the colloid or spreading of the gel onto glass slides demonstrate long-range order, yielding an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern consistent with a structure of CdI2-type layers of manganese oxide with tetraalkylammonium cations and water molecules interspersed between the layers. The SANS and XRD evidence are consistent with a mechanism of self-assembly of unassociated layers upon concentration and evaporation. Consistent with a mechanism of quantum confinement, UV/visible spectroscopy of the colloids reveals two absorbances, one near 220 nm and the other in the range 290−310 nm, blue-shifted from the maxima observed for bulk manganese oxide (400 nm). When the samples are aged, these bands shift to the red. The growth of particles in solution with aging, indicated by the shifts in absorbance, has been confirmed by SANS experiments.

Synthesis and characterization of a thermally stable analogue of synthetic todorokite, octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-I), is reported.

The formation of CuS nanoparticles from Cu(NO 3 ) 2 and Na 2 S by the mixing of two separate water-in-carbon dioxide (W/C) microemulsions supported by the sodium salt of bis (2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5octafluoro-1-pentyl)-2-sulfosuccinate (di-HCF4) was investigated. At a water-to-surfactant ratio of 10 and a copper concentration of 7.8 mM in the aqueous phase, the size of copper sulfide particles ranged from 4 to 6 nm. The temperature-pressure phase diagrams of W/C microemulsions at various electrolyte concentrations in the aqueous phase were also determined. The presence of the electrolytes was found not to affect the cloud-point pressures significantly, even at high concentrations.

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