A simple aqueous phase synthesis of high surface area aluminum fluoride and its bulk and surface structure

A simple novel synthesis route to aluminum fluoride, AlF3, from aqueous phase is reported. Al2O3 is dissolved in aqueous hydrofluoric acid, HF, and re-precipitated as AlF3 · 3H2O. Thermal decomposition results in thermally stable AlF3 with high specific surface areas between 120 and 60 m2/g depending on treatment temperatures (up to 450 °C). Bulk and surface structures of the resulting amorphous and crystalline materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared and solid state NMR spectroscopy (27Al, MAS), nitrogen physisorption and adsorption of paramagnetic probe molecules (vanadium complexes).