INTERACTIONS AT THE INORGANIC-ORGANIC INTERFACE - DISCRIMINATORY BINDING OF HYDROXYBENZENES BY LEPIDOCROCITE SURFACES

The morphology of lepidocrocite crystals has been found to be signific antly modified by the binding of certain hydroxybenzenes and aliphatic diols. The data have been combined in order to explore the geometric and stereochemical requirements of the binding process. Replacement of hydroxides by hydroxyl groups combined with appropriate iron-oxygen o rbital overlap is found to be an essential requirement. Attempts to fi nd molecules capable of binding to (010) were unsuccessful due either to the need for highly strained molecular conformations or due to the inherent passivity of the (010) surface. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.