Hydrothermal conversion of magnesium oxysulfate whiskers to magnesium hydroxide nanobelts

Mg(OH)2 nanobelts with a length of 1.5–3.0 μm, a width of 200–250 nm and a thickness of 40–50 nm were formed by treating magnesium oxysulfate (5Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·3H2O, abbreviated as 513MOS) whiskers in 0.5 mol L−1 NaOH solution at 200 °C for 2.0 h. The mechanical mixture model was employed to estimate the standard Gibbs free energy of 513MOS and the mechanism involved in the hydrothermal conversion from 513MOS whiskers to Mg(OH)2 nanobelts was discussed thereafter.