Asymmetric hydration structure around calcium ion restricted in micropores fabricated in activated carbons

The adsorbed phase and hydration structure of an aqueous solution of Ca(NO3)2 restricted in micropores fabricated in activated carbons (ACs) having different average pore widths (0.63 and 1.1 nm) were investigated with the analysis of adsorption isotherms and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra on Ca K-edge. The adsorbed density of Ca(2+) per unit micropore volume in the narrower pore was higher than in the wider pore, while the adsorbed amount per unit mass of carbon with the narrower pore was half of the amount of ACs with the larger pore. On the other hand, variations in the bands assigned to double-electron (KM I) and 1s  →  3d excitations in XAFS spectra demonstrate the formation of a distorted hydration cluster around Ca(2+) in the micropore, although the structural parameters of hydrated Ca(2+) in the micropores were almost consistent with the bulk aqueous solution, as revealed by the analysis of extended XAFS (EXAFS) spectra. In contrast to the hydration structure of monovalent ions such as Rb(+), which generally presents a dehydrated structure in smaller than 1 nm micropores in ACs, the present study clearly explains that the non-spherically-symmetric structure of hydrated Ca(2+) restricted in carbon micropores whose sizes are around 1 nm is experimentally revealed where any dehydration phenomena from the first hydration shell around Ca(2+) could not be observed.