The reaction of ZrCl4 vapor at 300, 450, and 600 °C
with silica and γ-alumina preheated at 300 and 600
°C was studied by XRD, FTIR, 1H MAS NMR, and chemical
etching with sulfuric acid. NMR and FTIR
revealed a consumption of OH groups in the reaction. However,
subsequent water vapor treatment brought
some of the OH groups of the support back, indicating that part of the
surface had been directly chlorinated.
The ratio between permanently consumed OH groups and directly
chlorinated OH groups depended on
the reaction temperature. OH groups were permanently consumed in
mono- and bimolecular reactions
of ZrCl4, leading to the formation of isolated
M−O−ZrCl3 and (M−O)2−ZrCl2
species (M = Al or Si),
respectively. Direct chlorination was associated with the
formation of crystalline ZrO2 agglomerates, as
detected by XRD in the samples prepared at 450 and 600 °C. These
agglomerates were insoluble in sulfuric
acid. Although at the reaction temperature of 300 °C the samples
were amorphous in XRD, the reappearance
of some OH groups on the original surface after water treatment,
together with etching tests, suggested
that agglomerates were also formed at that temperature. In
addition to agglomeration and exchange
reactions with OH groups, on 600 °C alumina ZrCl4
dissociated to (Al−O) pairs. This led to a higher
Zr
saturation density and Cl/Zr ratio on alumina than on silica. The
reactions of the HCl evolved in the main
reactions were considered minor. Increasing the preheat and
reaction temperatures decreased the Zr
concentration on the surface and thus diminished the surface coverage.
The surfaces of the ZrCl4-modified
and water-treated silica and alumina surfaces consisted of Zr−OH
groups formed in the hydrolysis of
isolated ZrCl
x
species, original OH groups of
the supports, and ZrO2 agglomerates formed in the
vicinity
of siloxanes and (Al−O) pairs.