Dehydrogenation and dehydroxylation as drivers of the thermal decomposition of Fe-chlorites

In addition to dehydroxylation, thermal decomposition of Fe(II)-bearing chlorites also involves dehydrogenation. Dehydrogenation does not require the presence of oxygen and readily occurs in an inert gas atmosphere via electron transfer between the OH group and octahedral Fe(II). The reaction results in releasing one hydrogen atom that forms an H2 gas upon diffusing out of the crystallite, and leaves one structural Fe(II) oxidized, to keep the charge balance. Dehydrogenation removes structural hydrogen reducing the amount of OH groups available for dehydroxylation thus H2O released during heating.