Pyrolysis of amine-intercalated lithium vanadates applicable as an oxygen-preferential adsorbent

Intercalation compounds were prepared from layered lithium vanadates with n-alkylamine molecules. Changes in their oxygen adsorption behavior when heated up to 500 °C were investigated. TG–DTA revealed that amine molecules exist in at least two forms in the host vanadate, i.e., cohesive amines and intercalated amines. The intercalation compounds showed significantly high oxygen adsorption by heat treatment at 300 °C where a radical formation was enhanced by the pyrolysis of the intercalated amines. Oxygen molecules adsorb chemically on the compounds while nitrogen molecules do not; however, reheating with evacuation after the first chemisorption could reactivate them to oxygen.

Oxygen adsorption is enhanced by pyrolysis of amine-intercalated vanadates at around 300 °C.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Amine-intercalated vanadates are prepared to examine their oxygen enrichment potential.
► They show high selectivity to oxygen adsorption from air after pyrolysis.
► Reheating in vacuo after the first chemisorption can repeatedly reactivate them to oxygen.