Novel microwave initiated synthesis of Zn2SiO4 and MCrO4 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb)

A novel microwave initiated solid-state metathesis synthesis of metal chromates and zinc silicate has been investigated. The high lattice energy of NaCl drives the solid-state metathesis reaction (CaCl2·2H2O + Na2CrO4·4H2O → NaCl + CaCrO4 + 6H2O↑) in the forward direction to obtain the products. The structural, optical, and chemical properties of synthesized compounds are determined by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffused reflectance spectroscopy in the UV–vis range.