Organo-derivatives of zirconium phosphate

Abstract

A series of alkyl and aryl diphosphonic acids in which the size of the alkyl and aryl group is systematically varied has been synthesized. The corresponding zirconium diphosphonates, mixed-component pillared zirconium phosphite/phosphate diphosphonates, mixed-component non-pillared zirconium phosphite phenyl phosphonates and their sulphonated derivatives have been prepared by various synthetic methods. An extensive study of the preparative conditions of these synthetic methods has been carried out. The mixed-component pillared zirconium phosphate diphosphonates have zeolite-type cavities, exchangeable hydrogen ions, large surface area and high void volume, thus they constitute a new series of adsorbents for chromatography, new composite ion-exchangers and also new catalyst systems. These compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, TG analysis, elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, titration curves, surface area measurement, pore size distribution, solid state NMR and electron microscopic study. Their various possible applications were also investigated. A series of layered zirconium phosphite phenylphosphonate and phosphate phenylphosphonate mixed derivatives, with the general formula Zr(XPO₃)[subscript 2-y](C₆H₅PO₃)[subscript y] (x = -H, -OH and y = 1.0-04), have been prepared and characterized. These compounds were readily sulfonated in fuming sulfuric acid under mild conditions and the resultant sulfonates behave as strong acid ion exchangers. These exchangers are colloidal in aqueous suspensions and exchange large cations and complexes in a facile manner. The exchanger showed increased selectivity for larger cations. In the case of coordination complexes the increased selectivity was remarkable and may stem from a combination of favorable electrostatic and steric factors. ...