Synthesis and characterization of new dysprosium doped phosphate tungsten bronze

Abstract

Dysprosium phosphate tungsten bronze has been successfully synthesized and characterized (TGA, DSC, FTIR). For the preparation of dysprosium phosphate tungsten bronze (Dy-PWB), as a starting material is used 12-tungstophosporic heteropoly acid H3PW12O40×29H2O (PWA), which was first transformed into H3PW12O40×6H2O (6-PWA) by heating of PWA at 80 °C in a kiln. Aqueous solution H3PW12O40×6H2O is then commingled with aqueous solution of DyCl3×6H2O, slightly heated in order to start the crystallization process and left during the night to finish the crystallization. The obtained salt DyPW12O40×nH2O is then heated in furnace, from room temperature to 600 °C, whereby the yellow crystals of dysprosium phosphate tungsten bronze are formed. The structure and its phase transformations were characterized by thermal analysis (TGA and DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR). In this paper, the dysprosium phosphate tungsten bronze has been synthesized and characterized for the first time in order to obtain more information about its structure, chemical features and potential practical application. The potential practical application of Dy-PWB is in its installation in batteries and fuel cells, as catalyst for the reduction of oxygen in acidic electrolytes. Due to the specific yellow color and its thermal stability, Dy-PWB could also be used as a pigment.