Investigation of calcium aluminates by IR spectroscopy in diffusely scattered light

The hydroxyl covering and the adsorption sites for CO and H/sub 2/O on aluminum-calcium catalysts and supports with developed surfaces have been studied by IR spectroscopy in diffusely scattered light. The presence of several types of surface OH groups, viz., terminal groups bonded to calcium ions with different types of coordination, bridging OH groups, and groups appearing in (CaOH)/sup +/ groupings, which perform the role of compensating cations in the zeolite-like structure of calcium aluminates, has been established. The shifts of the bands of the OH groups upon the adsorption of C/sub 6/H/sub 6/ and cyclo-C/sub 6/H/sub 12/ point out their weakly acidic or basic character. When calcium aluminates are dehydroxylated, aprotic sites appear on their surfaces, and the rehydration of such surfaces is accompanied by the formation of OH groups and the weakening of the Al-O-M bonds (M = Al, Ca) with the appearance of additional sites for the strong adsorption of water.