Abstract
Porous MgO nanoplates with high surface area has been synthesized by a vacuum calcination route using industrially available Mg(OH)(2) as the precursor. The vacuum calcination not only promoted the phase transformation of Mg(OH)(2) to MgO at a low temperature (300 degrees C), but also inhibited the thermally-induced particle growth and pore coalescence, leading to the formation of MgO nanoplates with fine grain sizes (5.5 rim), ultrasmall pores (2-4 nm) and high surface area (390 m(2) g(-1)). The as prepared MgO nanoplates exhibited superior arsenic adsorption properties with a maximum adsorption capacity of 481.0 mg g(-1), as well as excellent catalytic activity for the Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction.