Recent insights into dehydration reactions of crystalline solids

School of Chemistry, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland.

Abstract

Recent literature concerned with dehydration reactions of crystalline solids is reviewed. In particular, we discuss theoretical explanations of surface and interface behaviour in the context of evidence that limited dehydration may occur across all surfaces of some highly hydrated salts but only develop continuously at nucleus boundaries. The potential importance of synchrotron diffraction methods in characterizing structure changes in the immediate vicinity of interfaces is considered. Trends in recently reported experimental investigations of dehydrations are identified and examined.