Different thallium(III) oxide nano-structures from direct thermal decomposition of two thallium(I) coordination polymers

Two thallium(I) coordination polymers, [Tl(3-np)] and [Tl(2,4-dnp)], 3-np⁻ = 3-nitrophenoxide and 2,4-dnp⁻ = 2,4-dinitrophenoxide, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses and IR spectroscopy. Flower-like nano-structure and nano-powders thallium(III) oxide, Tl₂O₃, have been prepared by direct thermal decomposition of two different Tl(I) coordination polymers, [Tl(3-np)] and [Tl(2,4-dnp)]. The nano-materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and IR spectroscopy. The thermal stability of nano-structure Tl₂O₃ was studied by thermal gravimetric and differential thermal analyses and showed that there is no reportable loss of weight in the TGA curves that proves the existence of thallium(III) oxide. This study demonstrates that coordination polymers may be suitable precursors for the preparation of nanoscale materials with different and interesting morphologies.