The layered basic hydroxide Zn₅(OH)₈(NO₃)₂⋅2H₂O can be thermally decomposed to ZnO via a series of intermediary compounds. Application of in situ X-ray diffraction to dry powder samples reveals three reactions: formation of anhydrous Zn₅(OH)₈(NO₃)₂, then de-hydroxylation to Zn₃(OH)₄(NO₃)₂ and, finally, decomposition of the latter to ZnO. In contrast, thermal analysis and mass spectroscopy of the evolved volatiles suggests that four reactions take place. Whereas de-hydroxylation reactions only produce H₂O, there is also a distinctive pulse of NO_x and O₂ at the end of the sequence of reactions. The evidence points to the formation of an intermediate, poorly crystalline phase with a stoichiometry of [Zn(OH)_2-x]⋅[NO₃]_x (1 < x < 2) during the final stages of the reaction sequence. Isothermal calcination of Zn₅(OH)₈(NO₃)₂⋅2H₂O at 120 °C showed that the anhydrous Zn₅(OH)₈(NO₃)₂ compound is unstable, rehydrating very rapidly on cooling or decomposing within 6 or 7 h at 120 °C to Zn₃(OH)₄(NO₃)₂ (at a rate of 1.33 × 10^-4 s^-1). Zn₃(OH)₄(NO₃)₂ itself decomposes slowly to ZnO at 120 °C, but the process is slower (5.33 × 10^-6 s^-1) and there was still considerable Zn₃(OH)₄(NO₃)₂ present even after 140 h. The mixtures of Zn₃(OH)₄(NO₃)₂ and ZnO prepared by calcination are unstable under ambient conditions and react with moisture to reform Zn₅(OH)₈(NO₃)₂⋅2H₂O.

层状碱性氢氧化物的Zn ₅（OH）₈（NO ₃）₂ ⋅2H ₂ O可被热经由一系列中间化合物的分解的ZnO。的应用原位X射线衍射到干粉样品揭示了三个反应：形成无水的Zn ₅（OH）₈（NO ₃）₂，然后脱羟基化对于Zn ₃（OH）₄（NO ₃）₂最后，后者分解为ZnO。相反，对析出的挥发物的热分析和质谱表明发生了四个反应。脱羟基反应仅产生H ₂ O，但在反应序列结束时还有一个独特的NO _x和O ₂脉冲。证据表明 ，在反应序列的最后阶段，形成了化学计量比为[Zn（OH）_{2- x} ]·[NO ₃ ] _x（1 <  x <2）的中间结晶性较弱的相。锌等温煅烧₅（OH）₈（NO ₃）₂ ⋅2H在120°C下的₂ O表明无水Zn ₅（OH）₈（NO ₃）₂化合物不稳定，在冷却后迅速复水或在120°C下6或7 h内分解为Zn ₃（OH）₄（NO ₃）₂（速率为1.33×10 ^-4 s ^-1）。Zn ₃（OH）₄（NO ₃）₂本身在120°C时缓慢分解为ZnO，但过程较慢（5.33×10 ^-6 s ^-1），并且仍然存在大量的Zn ₃（OH）₄（NO ₃）₂即使在140小时后仍然存在。Zn组成的混合物₃（OH）₄（NO ₃）₂和ZnO制备通过煅烧在环境条件下是不稳定的，并与水分反应的Zn改革₅（OH）₈（NO ₃）₂ ⋅2H ₂ O.