A vacuum calcination route to high-surface-area MgO nanoplates for superior arsenate adsorption and catalytic properties

Porous MgO nanoplates with high surface area has been synthesized by a vacuum calcination route using industrially available Mg(OH)2 as the precursor. The vacuum calcination not only promoted the phase transformation of Mg(OH)2 to MgO at a low temperature (300 °C), but also inhibited the thermally-induced particle growth and pore coalescence, leading to the formation of MgO nanoplates with fine grain sizes (5.5 nm), ultrasmall pores (2-4 nm) and high surface area (390 m2 g−1). The as prepared MgO nanoplates exhibited superior arsenic adsorption properties with a maximum adsorption capacity of 481.0 mg g−1, as well as excellent catalytic activity for the Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction.