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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Hydronium ion and water interactions with SiOSi, SiOAl, and AlOAl tetrahedral linkages

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The minimum energy structures of H₆Si₂O₇, H₇SiAlO₇, and H₈Al₂O₇ have been calculated using quantum mechanical molecular orbital techniques. The calculated bond lengths and angles of H₆Si₂O₇ and H₇SiAlO₇ agree with those found in silicate and aluminosilicate minerals, but no such comparison is possible for H₈Al₂O₇ since we know of no aluminates having such an underbonded bridging oxygen (Pauling bond strength sum of 1.5). The total energies of the three molecules were used to model the stability of the SiOAI unit relative to the SiOSi and AIOAI units in framework aluminosilicates such as the feldspars and the zeolites. The calculated electronic energy for the reaction H₆Si₂O₇ + H₈Al₂O₇ = 2H₇SiAlO₇ is positive (ca. + 20 kJ mol⁻¹). This result docs not adequately model the "aluminum avoidance rule," but the value is closer than previous calculations performed on energy optimized molecules (which gave ΔE = - 484 kJ moI⁻¹) to experimental enthalpies of mixing for the reaction 2M<sub>1/n</sub><sup>n+</sup>AlO₂ + 2SiO₂ = 2M<sub>1/n</sub><sup>n+</sup>AlSiO₄. For this reaction ΔH<sub>mix</sub> = -100.4 kJ mol⁻¹ for M = Na, and ΔH<sub>mix</sub> = -75.6 kJ mol⁻¹ for M = Ca. The calculated relative order of stability for reactions of water and hydronium ion with the hydroxyacid molecules used in this study was found to be H₃O⁺ + SiOSi > H₃O⁺ + SiOAl > H₂O + SiOAl > H₃O⁺ + AlOAl ≃ H₂O + AlOAl > H₂O + SiOSi The results model the hydrophilic nature of aluminosilicate zeolites and the hydrophobic nature of the silicate zeolite silicalite.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
M.S.
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Geological Sciences
Department dc:contributor.department
Geological Sciences
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Year dc:date.issued
1986

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Foley, Jeffrey Arthur

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104320
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/104320

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Foley, Jeffrey Arthur. Hydronium ion and water interactions with SiOSi, SiOAl, and AlOAl tetrahedral linkages. masters thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104320