Synthesis and investigation of surface morphology of dispersed polyantimonic acid particles modified with silicon dioxide

In this article, the authors show the possibility of modifying the surface of particles of an inorganic proton conductor (polyantimonic acid) with hydrated silicon dioxide, as a result of which Na- and H-forms were obtained with the formation of “core-shell” structures, where the core is nanodispersed particles of polyantimonic acid, isomorphic to the structural type of pyrochlore, and the shell is particles of amorphous silicon dioxide formed on the surface of polyantimonic acid particles. The X-ray diffraction studies carried out in combination with experimentally obtained elemental analysis data made it possible to identify the structural features of H-forms of surface modified polyantimonic acid particles and determine their gross compositions. The morphological peculiarities of the surface of synthesized nanodispersed particles were studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy methods together with energy-dispersive analysis data. It was established that as a result of surface modification of polyantimonic acid particles with hydrated silicon dioxide, a solid shell of hydrated silicon dioxide is formed without island-type formations. It was shown that the average size of the resulting nanoparticles changes slightly and varies in the range from 80 to 100 nm.