The Raman spectra of layered titanium oxides, NaLnTiO(4), Na(2)Ln(2)Ti
(3)O(10), HLnTiO(4), and HLnTiO(4) . xH(2)O (Ln = lanthanides), were i
nvestigated. The assignment of the Raman bands,vas based on the struct
ural data. The characteristic major band around 900 cm(-1) of parent s
odium compounds, which is assigned to the symmetric stretching mode of
a short Ti-O bond, was not observed for proton-exchanged derivatives
but instead a broad weak band around 820 cm(-1) appeared. Such a chang
e is proposed to result from the replacement of an ionic Ti-O-Na+ bond
by a covalent Ti-O-H bond. The difference in Bronsted acidity between
titanium oxides and niobium oxides with similar structure could be ex
plained by comparison of their Raman spectra before and after proton e
xchanges. A structural rearrangement by the intercalation of a water m
olecule into a proton layer gave two bands around 770 and 900 cm(-1),
which were assigned to two types of terminal Ti-O bonds with different
bond orders. In addition, several characteristic modes of layered-typ
e titanium oxides were systematically compared and assigned. (C) 1997
Academic Press.