Magnesium hydroxide dehydroxylation: In situ nanoscale observations of lamellar nucleation and growth

Lamellar dehydroxylation mechanisms are important in understanding highly r eactive nanocrystal oxide formation as well as a variety of applied lamella r hydroxide reaction processes. These mechanisms have been observed for the first time via in situ nanoscale imaging for the prototype lamellar hydrox ide: Mg(OH)(2). Environmental-cell, dynamic high-resolution transmission el ectron microscopy was combined with advanced computational modeling in disc overing that lamellar nucleation and growth processes govern dehydroxylatio n. The host lamella can guide the formation of a solid solution series of l amellar oxyhydroxide intermediates en route to oxide formation. This invest igation opens the door to a deeper, atomic-level understanding of lamellar dehydroxylation reaction processes, nanocrystal oxide formation, and the ra nge of potential new intermediate materials and third component reaction pa thways they can provide.