Effects of anions on local structure of Al and Si in aluminosilicates

Three kinds of amorphous aluminosilicates were synthesized by coprecipitation of silicic acid with aluminum hydroxide in the presence of different inorganic ions: sulfate, chloride, and nitrate. Although the bulk composition of the aluminosilicates obtained was not affected by anion species, their DTA spectra were significantly different, suggesting that their structures also differ. The local structure of Al and Si in the aluminosilicates was studied in detail by ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si MAS NMR. From the ²⁷Al MAS NMR spectra and comparison between ²⁹Si HD- and CP-MAS NMR spectra, it was concluded that the aluminosilicate obtained in the presence of sulfate ions has only a montmorillonite-like structure, whereas in the cases of chloride and nitrate, the solids are composed of three phases: aluminum hydroxide, silica, and the montmorillonite-like aluminosilicate. The difference in the local structure of Al and Si in the aluminosilicates was explained by the difference in interaction between the anions and aluminum ions.