Topotactic Redox-Catalyzed Transformation of Iron Oxides

Fe oxides frequently exist in systems containing both Fe(II) and Fe(III), where their reactivity is enhanced and where interfacial electron transfer from Fe(II) adsorbed to the solids causes the transformation of metastable Fe oxides. Here, we contribute to the understanding of such a transformation using green rust sulfate (GR) synthesized in the presence or absence of Si or Al as the starting material. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and pair distribution function (PDF) analyses showed that (i) rapid oxidation by Cr(VI) caused transformation to Fe oxyhydroxide with short-range ordering, with a pattern identical to that reported for the oxidation of isolated GR hydroxide sheets (i.e., a trilayer of Fe with both edge- and corner-sharing polyhedra) and (ii) goethite formed at the expense of the short-range-ordered Fe oxyhydroxide when residual Fe(II) was present, particularly when Si was absent. This is consistent with the Fe(II)-catalyzed transformation of the short-range-ordered Fe oxyhydroxide. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the two oxidation products coexisted within individual particles and that particle shape and the crystallographic orientation of both products were inherited from the original GR crystals, i.e., they had formed through topotactic transformation. We interpret that the structural reorganization to goethite occurred either in response to distortions caused by polaron movement or as a result of electron transfer reactions occurring at internal surfaces. Once nucleated, goethite growth can be sustained by dissolution–reprecipitation.