The synthesis of peroxo−citrato−niobium, a novel aqueous
precursor of niobium, is
reported. Niobium oxalate was decomposed with acidified
H2O2 to form a peroxo−niobium
complex, which was reacted with citric acid at pH ∼ 7.5 to form the
stable peroxo−citrato−niobium complex. IR and Raman spectroscopy indicate that the
peroxo−citrato−niobium
complex consists of tridentate bridging citrato and bidentate peroxo
ligands. The aqueous
complex is binuclear with peroxo groups chelated to niobium and the
precipitated complex
is polynuclear with bridging type peroxo groups. Due to kinetic
limitations during
crystallization, the formation of seven-coordinated niobium in
peroxo−citrato−niobium
energetically favors the formation of niobium oxides with
seven-coordinated niobium, viz.
TT−Nb2O5 and
T−Nb2O5. Consequently, nanocrystalline
metastable TT−Nb2O5, with a
particle size of ∼25 nm, crystallizes from the
peroxo−citrato−niobium complex at 580 °C.
On further heating, TT−Nb2O5 transforms
to T−Nb2O5 at 800 °C,
M−Nb2O5 at 1000 °C,
and H−Nb2O5 at 1200 °C. The nanometric
particle size is retained after heating to 1200 °C
and H−Nb2O5 has an average crystallite size
of 53 nm.