Effect of preparation conditions on structural and catalytic properties of lithium zirconate

Inorganic (inorg) and organic (org) routes with acid (A) and base (B) hydrolyzing agents were utilized to synthesize lithium zirconate (LiZr) nanomaterials. The effect exerted by the nature of hydrolyzing agent and synthesis route on the morphology and structural properties of the samples was studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, SEM, XPS, N2-adsorption and CO2-TPD techniques. The characterization results revealed that LiZr-org-B sample prepared using organic base possessed hollow nanospheres which are composed of small platelets; in contrast, LiZr-inorg-B sample prepared using inorganic base showed nanotubular structure due to more alkaline nature of the inorganic precursors. Additionally, LiZr-org samples possessed different textural characteristics and basic properties. LiZr-org samples, in particular LiZr-org-B showed relatively high surface area, uniform micro pores, and more number of basic sites as well as high catalytic activities in transesterification of tributyrin with methanol than LiZr-inorg samples. LiZr-org-B sample is stable and showed excellent reusability for more than five cycles without any loss of activity in transesterification reaction.