Natural Materials and Their Synthetic Analogs: The Experience of the Kola Nanomaterials Research Centre

Although they were generated by 18^th and 19^th century mineralogy, today inorganic chemistry and materials science rarely examine their geological origins. A similar disinterest in its own amazing discoveries is observed on the part of mineralogy, which has come a long way in understanding the natural processes of formation and transformation of chemical compounds. Based on our own research and the literature, we have outlined the current interaction between materials science and mineralogy. With the materials of the Kola Science Centre RAS, it has been established how both Soviet and Russian science neglected the opportunity to develop a number of mineralogical discoveries that were later implemented overseas, and also what has been done and what needs to be done to prevent this from happening again. A retrospective journey into the history of the creation of the Kola Nanomaterials Research Centre (KNRC) in 2010 and its modern developments based on mineralogical data is presented. In recent years, the KNRC (Kola Science Centre, RAS) has discovered over 20 new minerals, including 10 belonging to the group of microporous ti-tanosilicates. Although nano- and microporous titanosilicates rarely occur in nature, they often serve as prototypes for various functional materials, both already developed and emerging. They are utilized in gas separation; isolation and concentration of radionuclides; heavy non-ferrous and noble metals; creation of crystalline matrixes for lithium batteries; optoelectronic elements; and in catalyst production, among other areas. Synthetic analogs of the rare framework minerals lintisite (SL3, K3), ivanyukite (SIV), zorite (AM-4, AM-10), and sitinakite (IONSIVIE-911) and other types of titanosilicates have been prepared from chemical reagents and raw materials available on the Kola Peninsula. We have developed a process for titanite, perovskite, and loparite that yields titanium sulfate salts or their solutions as precursors for the synthesis of new functional materials. The efficiency of the hydrothermal method, which simulates the natural processes of titanosilicate formation, has been demonstrated, and the conditions for the synthesis and application of the products have been determined. New titanosilicates possess a high sorption capacity toward cations of different valences and, due to their high chemical stability in acidic and alkaline media, provide purification of liquid radioactive waste of any composition. Calcining of a spent sorbent at 800-1200°C results in the formation of a mineral-like Synroc-type titanate ceramics applicable for long-term immobilization of absorbed radionuclides and affording a significant decrease (by 100-500 times) in the volume of radioactive waste immobilized. The scientific basis developed for synthesis of new titanosilicates from locally available materials is a major step toward producing advanced functional materials in Russia. This production can be launched at the Kola chemical-technological cluster.

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