Crystalline rare earth aluminum borates

Abstract

The preparation, structure, and properties of solid inorganic materials containing at least one rare earth element, aluminum, boron and oxygen are described. Also described is the use of such materials in catalytic compositions for the conversion of organic compounds. In particular, new materials comprising crystalline LnAl.sub.1.67+0.67X (B.sub.4 O.sub.10)O.sub.X where Ln is at least one Group IIIB element ion having effective ionic radii less than about 0.98 Angstroms at valence 3+ and coordination number VI, and X is a number ranging from 0 to 1, having a characteristic X-ray diffraction pattern are described as well as the use of such materials in various catalyzed processes including oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons and oxygen-containing hydrocarbons, dehydrogenation to functionalize alkylaromatic compounds, and ammoxidation of alkylaromatic compounds. Also, these new crystalline rare earth aluminum borates exhibit a variety of physical properties that make their use as optical materials attractive, including uses for optical frequency conversion, fluorescence, and laser materials.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.