Effect of agglomerate size on the catalytic activity of an iron oxyhydroxide nanocrystalline powder toward carbon-carbon bond scission in naphthylbibenzylmethane

A highly agglomerated nanocrystalline powder composed predominantly of six-line ferrihydrite was produced by rapid thermal decomposition of precursors in solution. The powder and sieved portions of it were tested for activity toward carbon-carbon bond scission in the model compound naphthylbibenzylmethane. It was shown that agglomerate size, in addition to crystallite size, is an important factor in determining the overall catalytic activity of the six-line ferrihydrite powder.