Speciation and equilibria of 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylate
(pyromellitate) at the water−boehmite
(γ-AlOOH) interface were studied in 0.1 M Na(Cl) at 298 K.
Surface equilibrium analyses were based upon
potentiometric and adsorption measurements in the range 4.5 < pH <
10.0. To characterize the surface
complexes at the molecular level, attenuated total reflectance infrared
spectra were recorded. The IR data
provided information on the structure and composition of the complexes.
This information could then be
used to constrain the thermodynamic surface complexation model.
The acid/base properties of pyromellitate
in solution and its complexation with Al(III) were also studied by
means of potentiometric titrations in
0.1 M Na(Cl) at 298 K. The results of these measurements were
primarily used to investigate the effect
of pyromellitate on the dissolution of boehmite. In aqueous
solution Al(III) forms a series of mononuclear
complexes, namely, AlHL, AlL-, and
Al(OH)L2-. No indication of
polynuclear complexes was found within
the concentration ranges studied. IR spectra of pyromellitate
sorbed at the water−boehmite interface
suggested the existence of one dominating surface complex over a wide
pH range (4.4 ≤ pH ≤ 8.1). The
IR spectroscopic characteristics of this complex were in agreement with
an outer-sphere nonprotonated
pyromellitate ion. No evidence was found for protonation of the
sorbed ion. Thus, the nonprotonated form
is greatly stabilized at the interface as compared to the speciation in
the aqueous solution. The IR data
also showed some indications of a second minor surface complex.
This was tentatively assigned to an
inner-sphere species. According to the constraints provided by the
IR data, the potentiometric and adsorption
data were modeled with two surface complexes,
⋮AlOH2
+L4-
(outer-sphere) and ⋮AlL- (inner-sphere).
The extended constant capacitance model was used to account for
the electrostatic effects at the interface.
The agreement between the experimental data and the model was
satisfactory. Furthermore, the model
was also in agreement with the minor changes observed in the IR spectra
as a function of pH.