Thermal and thermo-oxidative properties of the decahydro-closo-decaborate anion B10H10 2- in a silicate matrix

Using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry in air and argon, we have studied the products of reactions between the B10H10 (2-) anion and water glass (WG) sodium silicates. The reaction products have the form of spatially branched supramolecular structures. Supramolecular structures of various compositions have been synthesized at initial WG/(Et 3NH)(2)B10H10 reactant ratios of 70/30, 60/40, 50/50, and 40/60. In the range 20-600aintegral, we have studied the following processes in the WG/B10H10 (2-) systems: removal of adsorbed water (50-200aintegral), condensation of silicates containing silanol groups (200-300aintegral), and oxidation of the B10H10 (2-) anion in the silicate matrix (300-600aintegral). All three processes have been shown to depend on content.