New Nanostructured Zinc Phosphite Templated by Cetyltrimethylammonium Cations: Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Adsorption, and Photoluminescence Properties

Nanostructured
zinc phosphite templated by cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) cations was synthesized using a hydro­(solvo)­thermal method. This
is the first example of a crystalline metal phosphite containing long
carbon tails of the CTA+ ions as templates in its structure,
as is structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
The 2D inorganic structures with 4.82 topologies are constructed
from the interconnection of tetrahedral ZnO3Br and HPO3 units, which are sandwiched between CTA+ ion surfactants
in a packing behavior of a largely lamellar liquid-crystalline structure
to extend the interlayer d spacing to 28.05 Å.
Adsorption experiment shows selective adsorption properties of 1-naphthol
and a adsorption capacity of 0.17 mmol/mmol (CTA)­ZnBr­(HPO3). This compound has potential as an adsorbent for the removal of
1-naphthol pollutant from wastewater. In addition, the naphthol-adsorbed
sample shows interesting luminescent properties that are different
from that of an as-synthesized sample. The crystal structure, thermal
stability, IR spectrum, adsorption, and photoluminescence properties
have been studied.