Selective synthesis of manganese/silicon complexes in supercritical water

A series of manganese salts (Mn(NO3)2, MnCl2, MnSO4, and Mn(Ac)2) and silicon materials (silica sand, silica sol, and tetraethyl orthosilicate) were used to synthesize Mn/Si complexes in supercritical water using a tube reactor. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to characterize the structure and morphology of the solid products. It was found that MnO2, Mn2O3, and Mn2SiO4 could be obtained in supercritical water at 673 K in 5 minutes. The roles of both anions of manganese salts and silicon species in the formation of manganese silicon complexes were discussed. The inorganic manganese salt with the oxyacid radical could be easily decomposed to produce MnO2/SiO2 and Mn2O3/SiO2. It is interesting to found that Mn(Ac)2 can react with various types of silicon to produce Mn2SiO4. The hydroxyl groups of the SiO2 surface from different silicon sources enhance the reactivity of SiO2.