Thermal decomposition of Co-Al layered double hydroxide: Identification of precursor to oxide with spinel structure

The layered double hydroxide (LDH) of Co with Al decomposes to yield an oxide residue with the spinel structure below 250°C. The decomposition reaction is preceded by the formation of an intermediate hydroxide in which the metal hydroxide layers are regularly stacked about the c -crystallographic axis, but the layers themselves are aperiodic. Aperiodicity is modeled by locating randomly chosen Co 2+ ions in tetrahedral sites in the interlayer region. This phase is characterized by a single strong basal reflection in its powder diffraction pattern. All other reflections are extinguished on account of (i) turbostratic disorder which destroys all hkl reflections and (ii) layer aperiodicity, which destroys all two dimensional hk reflections. Given its topochemical relationship with the spinel structure, such an intermediate is a necessary precursor to spinel formation.