Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences, Volume 115, page 59–64, 2020 LETTER Preparation and crystal structural properties of Er3+–exchanged GTS–type sodium titanosilicate Keiko FUJIWARA, Naomi KAWATA and Akihiko NAKATSUKA Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Ube 755–8611, Japan Powder sample of GTS–type sodium titanosilicate (Na–GTS) was prepared using a hydrothermal method. The 3+ Er –exchanged forms [Na4(1−x)Er4x/3Ti4O4(SiO4)3·nH2O] of Na–GTS with the compositions up to x = 0.96 were obtained by shaking the single–phase sample of Na–GTS in the ErCl3 aqueous solutions (25 mL, 0.01–0.5 M) at 25 and 60 °C for 6 h. The Er3+–exchange experiments revealed that the Er3+–exchange amounts (x) increase with increasing the concentration of ErCl3 aqueous solutions and the higher treatment temperature more effectively promotes ion–exchange. Thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA) measurements showed that + 3+ the exchange of Na for Er decreases the dehydration temperature and the H2O content. The simulation of powder X–ray diffraction (XRD) patterns suggests that Er3+ ions occupy both 4e and 6g sites in the assumed psuedocubic structure. Keywords: Hydrothermal synthesis, Er3+–exchanged Na–GTS, Microporous crystal, Cation distribution INTRODUCTION Microporous crystals such as zeolites are widely used in various applications because of their excellent abilities as molecular sieve, catalysts, absorbents, ion–exchangers, and heat–exchangers. Recently, grace titanosilicates (GTS) have attracted much attention as promising ion–exchangers. The GTS is a microporous titanosilicate as a structural an- alogue of the cubic mineral pharmacosiderite KFe4 (AsO4)3(OH)4·6–7H2O and has a three dimensional tun- nel–type structure. The Na–GTS, Na4Ti4O4(SiO4)3·6H2O, crystallizes in a rhombohedral phase with space group R3m; its unit cell [a = 7.8123(6) Å, α = 88.794(9)°; Da- dachov and Harrison, 1997] is very close to cubic cell and often described as a pseudocubic cell. Other forms such as K–GTS, HK3Ti4O4(SiO4)3·4H2O, have the cubic P43m symmetry [a = 7.7644(3) Å; Behrens et al., 1996]. In Figure 1. Framework structure of Na–GTS projected along [010] – GTS type structures (Fig. 1), four TiO6 octahedra linked (Dadachov and Harrison, 1997). Color version is available on- by edge–sharing form a Ti4O16 cluster; the clusters are line from https://doi.org/10.2465/jmps.191002. linked through SiO4 tetrahedra to form a three–dimension- al framework with an interconnected pore system involv- ions such as Na+ and K+, as in zeolites. ing cavities of 8–ring channels. The cavities are filled with The ion–exchange properties of GTS for Cs+ or di- water molecules and exchangeable extra–framework cat- valent cations such as Co2+,Sr2+, and Ba2+ have been investigated for the application to the radioactive waste doi:10.2465/jmps.191002 treatments (Behrens et al., 1996; Behrens and Clearfield, A. Nakatsuka, tuka@yamaguchi–u.ac.jp Corresponding author 1997; Fujiwara et al., 2013). These studies provide im- 60 K. Fujiwara, N. Kawata and A. Nakatsuka portant insights into the development of the treatment of the cationic contents in the obtained samples. The ex- materials of the radioactive waste water that continues perimental procedure and techniques for AAS are the to accumulate at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear same as those described by Fujiwara and Mizota (2001), Power Plant. Meanwhile, the rare–earth ion exchanged who studied the ion–exchange of A–type zeolite. The ion– GTS is of interest as promising optical and catalytic ma- exchange amounts of the Er3+–exchanged forms, i.e., the x terials, as well as the rare–earth ion exchanged zeolites values in Na4(1−x)Er4x/3Ti4O4(SiO4)3·nH2O(0≤ x ≤ 1) (Misono and Kondo, 1991; Chen et al., 2000). Because were evaluated from AAS for Na+ eluted into the super- of such importance, our recent study (Fujiwara et al., natant solutions from Na–GTS after the ion–exchange ex- 2017) investigated the Er3+–exchange properties of Na– periments. Here, x was defined as n(Na)/4n(Na–GTS) 3+ GTS in ErCl3 aqueous solutions up to 0.1 M at 25 °C; based on the ion–exchange reaction 4x/3Er +Na4Ti4 3+ + consequently, Er –exchenged Na–GTS, Na4(1−x)Er4x/3 O4(SiO4)3 → Na4(1−x)Er4x/3Ti4O4(SiO4)3 +4xNa ; n(Na– Ti4O4(SiO4)3·nH2O(0≤ x ≤ 1), was only prepared in GTS) is the amounts of as–prepared Na–GTS used in the compositions of x < 0.7. In the present study, we in- the ion–exchange experiments, and n(Na) is the amounts vestigate Er3+–exchange properties of Na–GTS under of Na+ in the supernatant solutions after the ion–exchange higher temperature and higher Er3+–concentration condi- experiments. The TG–DTA measurements using a MAC tions to examine whether these conditions increase the Science TG–DTA2000S analyzer were performed in the extent of cation exchange (x ≥ 0.7). In addition, the cation air for the determination of H2O contents and the exami- distribution model of Er3+–exchanged GTS is also dis- nation of dehydration process in the samples. The heating cussed based on the simulation of powder XRD patterns. rate of 10 °C/min and the cooling rate of 20 °C/min were applied in the TG–DTA measurements. The phase identi- EXPERIMENTAL fication and structural characterization of the obtained samples were performed by powder XRD measurements Sample preparation using a Rigaku RINT2200 diffractometer. The program Powder Cell (Kraus and Nolze, 1996) was used for the The Na–GTS, Na4Ti4O4(SiO4)3·6H2O, was prepared by a simulation of powder XRD patterns. hydrothermal method according to the procedure report- ed by the previous studies (Kostov–Kytin et al., 2007; RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Fujiwara et al., 2010). The starting materials were special grade reagents of NaOH (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemi- Ion–exchange amounts for Er3+ cal Co.), amorphous SiO2 fine powder (Merck KGaA), 3+ 3+ TiCl4 aqueous solution (Toho Titanium Co., Ltd), and Figure 2 shows the Er compositions (x) of the Er –ex- HCl (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Co.). The mixture changed Na–GTS, Na4(1−x)Er4x/3Ti4O4(SiO4)3·nH2O(0≤ with the compositional ratios of TiO2/SiO2 = 0.320 and Na2O/TiO2 = 5.625 was heat–treated at 100 °C for 24 h in a closed pressure–resistant vessel. The obtained sample was filtered with ultrapure water and dried at 80 °C for 24 h to gain Na–GTS. The Er3+–exchanged forms were ob- tained by shaking the prepared Na–GTS (0.5 g) in the ErCl3 aqueous solutions (25 mL) at 25 and 60 °C for 6 h; the aqueous solutions were produced by dissolving 3N–grade ErCl3 powder (Rare Metallic Co., Ltd) in ultra- 3+ pure water. The concentrations of Er (CEr) in the aque- ous solutions were varied between 0.01 and 0.5 M, where the 25 mL of 0.0364 M ErCl3 aqueous solution is theo- ritically necessary for complete exchange of Na+ in Na– GTS for Er3+. The obtained samples were filtrated, wash- ed and dried at 80 °C for 24 h. 3+ 3+ Characterization Figure 2. Er compositions (x) of the Er –exchanged forms pre- pared at each temperature of 25 and 60 °C as a function of CEr. The x values in 0 < CEr ≤ 0.1 M at 25 °C reported in our pre- Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) using a Hitachi vious study (Fujiwara et al., 2017) are reanalyzed and their re- Z–5310 spectrophotometer was employed for analyses vised values are quoted in the present study. Preparation and crystal structural properties of Er–exchanged Na–GTS 61 Figure 3. TG and DTA curves of as–prepared Na–GTS and its Er3+–exchanged forms prepared at each temperature of 25 and 60 °C. The data in 0 < x ≤ 0.68 at 25 °C are quoted from our previous study (Fujiwara et al., 2017), where the revised x values are provided as in Figure 2. x ≤ 1), prepared at each temperature as a function of the bly effective for promotion of ion–exchange, as well as in concentration of ErCl3 aqueous solution (CEr). As shown CEr. The present AAS result of x ≈ 1 indicates that the 3+ + in the figure, the increase in CEr increases the Er –ex- amount of Na eluted into the supernatant solutions from change amounts (x). In our previous study (Fujiwara et Na–GTS after the ion–exchange experiment is approxi- al., 2017), the x value only reached 0.68 at 25 °C even mately 4 ions per formula unit. This suggests that there + under a condition of CEr = 0.1 M, much higher than the are no significant amounts of hydronium (H3O ) and hy- + minimum CEr (= 0.0364 M) being necessary for complete drogen (H ) ions in the present Na–GTS, in contrast to the ion–exchange of x = 1. However, the present study shows K–GTS reported by Behrens et al. (1996). that the further increase in CEr to 0.5 M successfully in- creases the x value to 0.80 at 25 °C. Moreover, the Er3+– Dehydration behaviour and water content exchange treatments up to CEr = 0.5 M at a higher temper- ature of 60 °C enhance the x values up to 0.96, very close Figure 3 show TG and DTA curves of the Er3+–ex- to unity corresponding to the complete Er3+–exchange. changed samples prepared under each condition, together Thus, the increase in treatment temperature is considera- with those of as–prepared Na–GTS sample. The TG 62 K. Fujiwara, N. Kawata and A.