Preparation and infrared spectroscopic characterization of reduced-charge montmorillonite with various Li contents

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Abstract
A series of reduced-charge montmorillonites (RCMs) was prepared from Li-montmorillonite from Jelšový Potok (Slovakia) by heating at various temperatures (105–210°C for 24 h. The amount of fixed Li, 0.09–0.67 per O20(OH)4, increased with increasing temperature, confirming preparation of a set of samples of variable layer charge from the same parent Li-montmorillonite by varying only the preparation temperature. Infrared spectroscopy revealed that Li was trapped in the hexagonal cavities of the tetrahedral sheet at all temperatures. Partial deprotonation of the samples, reflected in the decrease of the intensities of the OH-bending bands, was observed after treatments above 120°C. Analysis of the OH-stretching region showed Li in the previously vacant octahedra in the samples heated above 150°C. Weak inflections near 660 and 720 cm−1 confirmed development of local trioctahedral character of octahedral cations coordinated with OH groups in the sample heated at 210°C. Gradual decrease of the layer charge due to Li fixation led to a shift of the Si-O stretching band to higher frequencies and to the appearance of new, pyrophyllite-like bands at 1120 and 419 cm−1.