LOW-TEMPERATURE SOLID-STATE ROUTES TO TRANSITION-METAL OXIDES VIA METATHESIS REACTIONS INVOLVING LITHIUM-OXIDE

Thermolysis of a mixture of lithium oxide and anhydrous transition metal halide, MX(n) (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, X = Cl; M = Mn, X = I), at oven temperatures of 450-degrees-C for 5 h produces crystalline transition metal oxide via a solid-state metathesis reaction. DSC studies show that the reaction is initiated at 300-degrees-C for M = Hf and Nb. When M = Ta or Nb the product is LiMO3. The metal oxides and lithium-metal oxides were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, S.E.M., EDAX, FT-IR and magnetic moment measurements.