On the thermodynamic driving force for polymer intercalation in smectite clays

The view that the intercalation of a polymer in an unmodified smectite clay is driven by the entropic increase that results from displacement of adsorbed water is re-assessed in the light of experiments that show rapid melt intercalation into a clay that has been heat-treated to remove gallery water. Dehydrated smectite clays with collapsed layers take up poly(ethylene glycol) from the melt in only 1?ks or from aqueous solution in under 18?ks, re-establishing the basal plane spacing to that for intercalation in untreated clay, 1.8?nm. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the intercalation of poly(ethylene glycol) into montmorillonite is exothermic with an enthalpy change of ?153?J?g^?1 based on the intercalated polymer and the heat of wetting for the internal surfaces of montmorillonite by poly(ethylene glycol) is ?0.08?J?m^?2. These results confirm the observation of re-expansion of heat-treated clays and imply that the reduction in free energy on intercalation results from a significant enthalpic change as well as an entropic change for clays with interlayer water, and primarily from an enthalpic change for clay in the absence of water.     

Effect of ultrasound on the structural and textural properties of copper-impregnated cerium-modified zirconium-pillared bentonite

In this study, the synthesis of zirconium-pillared bentonite modified with cerium was performed via two different methods by the application of conventional and ultrasonic treatments during the intercalation stage. To synthesise copper-impregnated pillared clays by wet impregnation, cerium-modified zirconium-pillared clays were used as supportive materials after being calcined at 300 °C. Ultrasonic treatment significantly decreased the required processing time compared with the conventional treatment of the synthesised pillared bentonites. Chemical analysis confirmed the incorporation of Zr⁴⁺, Ce⁴⁺ and Cu²⁺ species into the pillared bentonites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of zirconium- and cerium/zirconium-pillared bentonites prepared by conventional treatment show that one large d-spacing above 3.5 nm corresponds to the mesoporous delaminated part, and another small d-spacing above 1.7 nm is indicative of the microporous pillared part. Zirconium- and cerium/zirconium-pillared bentonites prepared via ultrasonic treatment exhibited similar results, with the same high d-spacing but with a second low-intensity d-spacing above 1.9 nm. The delaminated structures of the pillared bentonites synthesised by both methods were conserved after copper impregnation. Nitrogen-adsorption isotherm analysis showed that the textural characteristics of products synthesised by ultrasonic treatment were comparable to those of products synthesised by conventional treatment. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses showed the presence of Brønsted- and Lewis-acid sites, and zirconium-pillared clays synthesised by conventional treatment exhibited increased numbers of Brønsted- and Lewis-acid sites after cerium addition and copper impregnation. However, the products synthesised by ultrasonic treatment exhibited an increased number of Brønsted- and Lewis-acid sites after cerium addition, but a decreased number of acid sites after copper impregnation.     

Cationic versus Anionic Pillared Layered Substrates: Comparison of the Pillaring Reactions and the Resulting Porosities

Cationic clays and Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) are both layeredion exchangers, in which a stable (micro)porosity can be induced via apillaring process. For the cationic clays, the [Zr]-pillaring of hectoritecreates a broad micropore distribution with the maximum at 1.42–2.12nm. The [Al]-equivalent exhibits a narrower distribution, with pores between0.71 and 1.06 nm being dominant. In case of the [Zr]-pillared form a surfacearea of 294 m²/g and a micropore volume of 0.118cm³/g have been obtained. The same reaction on the syntheticlaponite clay reveals a much higher surface area (606 m²/g)and porosity (µPV = 0.336 cm³/g). Forlaponite, extra pores are created in the supermicropore-small mesoporeregion due to the preferential edge-to-face and edge-to-edge stacking of itssmaller sized clay layers.For the pillaring of MgAl- and ZnAl-LDHs with polyoxometalates (POMs),using large organic anions for pre-swelling purposes forms the mostpromising method for the creation of stable pores. It avoids the formationof sidephases, and gives rise to medium(-high) µPVs. Charge density onthe layers forms the key factor, lowering it improves the porositycharacteristics significantly. [Fe(CN)₆]-MgAl-LDHs exhibitmore spectacular properties, with surface areas and µPVs exceedingthose of pillared hectorite. A variation in the charge density via theM ^II/M ^III ratio optimizes theporosity properties. A M ^II/M ^IIIratio of 3.33 results in a SA of 499 m²/g and a µPV of0.177 cc/g. For LDHs, both types of pillars create mainly small micropores,with a diameter smaller than 0.71 nm.     

Electrochemical behavior of exfoliated carbon fibers in H2SO4 electrolyte with different concentrations

Exfoliated carbon fibers (ExCFs) were prepared by the decomposition of intercalation compounds with nitric acid derived from pitch-based carbon fibers and used as electrodes of electrochemical capacitors in sulfuric acid electrolyte. The specific capacitance, which was estimated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge (CD) measurements, increased gradually with the concentration of the electrolyte up to10 mol/dm³ and then rapidly to huge value in higher concentration of electrolyte. The capacitance obtained for a sample with the largest specific surface area (ca. 300 m²/g) was 450 F/g, which was calculated from the 50th discharge curve of CD experiment. The results suggest the possibility of pseudo-capacitance by the intercalation of sulfuric acid molecules into graphite gallery of ExCFs electrode.     

Tin-119 Mössbauer spectroscopic studies of novel tin oxide pillared clays

¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy has shown that attempts to intercalate three aryltin compounds (Ph₃SnCl, (Ph₃Sn)₂O, Ph₂SnCl₂) into the synthetic smectite clay laponite under ambient conditions result in the formation of tin(IV) oxide pillared clays. The Mössbauer data indicate that the effectiveness of conversion to tin(IV) oxide pillars is in the order Ph₃SnCl> (Ph₃Sn)₂O>Ph₂SnCl₂. The organic product of the pillaring reaction has been identified by¹³C m.a.s. n.m.r. spectroscopy as benzene trapped within the pillared clay. The pillaring in these new materials is achieved via neutral precursors rather than by sacrificial reaction of the exchanged cation. Measurements by A.C. conductivity measurements (12 Hz–100 kHz) show significant precursor related increases in conductivity for the new pillared materials as compared with sodium-exchanged laponite.     

Physical and chemical stabilities of pillared clays containing transition metal ions

Chromium(III) and iron (III) ions exchanged both into the pillars and into the micropore structure of pillared clays are compared during thermal treatments from 120°–480°C for various times and in different atmospheres (air and nitrogen). Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) is used to monitor the %H₂ O lost from 20°–720°C and X-ray diffraction (XRD) is used to elucidate structural information. Both untreated and heat-treated clays are then examined for resistance to acid-attack using solutions of HCl having a concentration range of 1.25 × 10⁻⁴ N to 1N. Transition-metal leaching during acid treatment is monitored via atomic absorption (AA), and found to increase as the concentration of HCl increases. The % loadings of transition metal (TM) is seen to be an important factor with respect to stability of the clays. Since iron-containing materials in most cases contain higher concentrations of TM than chromium-containing clays, these materials have undergone more decomposition of the clay lattice and are less stable to acid attack. The exception is Fe + ACH-BL where iron(III) ions have been incorporated into the pillars of an alumina pillared clay. When this material is heat-treated it becomes more resistant to 0.05N HCl than ACH-BL without TM ions.     

Study of structural irregularities of smectite clay systems by small-angle neutron scattering and adsorption

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and its contrast-matching variant are employed in order to determine structural properties (inter-pillar distances and mass/surface fractal dimensions of the clay layers and pillars) of a series of smectite natural clays (montmorillonite, beidellite, and bentonite) and their pillared and pillared/ion-exchanged analogues. Moreover, a comparative analysis with the adsorption data is carried out on the basis of a systematic study of the structural changes induced by a particular treatment or modification (e.g. pillaring) of the clay systems.     

Adsorption of Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solutions Onto Raw and Acid-Activated Reşadiye and Hançılı Clays

ABSTRACT

The adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions onto raw and acid-activated clays—namely, Re?adiye region clay (R, raw Re?adiye region clay; R-H₂SO₄, acid-activated with H₂SO₄ Re?adiye region clay; R-HCl, acid-activated with HCl Re?adiye region clay) and Hanç?l? region clay (H, raw Hanç?l? region clay; H-H₂SO₄, acid-activated with H₂SO₄ Hanç?l? region clay; H-HCl, acid-activated with HCl Hanç?l? region clay)—was studied in a batch system. For optimization of the Cr(VI) adsorption on raw clays and acid-activated clays, the effect of pH, temperature, initial Cr(VI) concentration, time, and adsorbent dosage were investigated. X-ray diffraction analyses of raw and acid-activated clays were used to determine the effects of acid-activating on the layer structure of the clays. The surface characterizations of clays and modified clays were performed by using FT-IR spectroscopy. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were employed to describe the equilibrium isotherms, and thus the isotherm constants were determined. The data obtained from our investigations were well described by the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbents Re?adiye and Hanç?l? clays were found to be 0.0269, 0.0144, and 0.0170 mmol/g for H, H-HCl, and H-H₂SO₄ and 0.0356, 0.0276, and 0.0422 mmol/g for R, R-HCl, and R-H₂SO₄, respectively. The results show that the adsorption was strongly dependent on pH of the medium, initial Cr(VI) concentration and temperature. The removal of Cr(VI) reached saturation in about 120 min, and the adsorption process of Cr(VI) was observed as exothermic. A maximum removal of 73% was noted at 1.0 × 10^?4 M concentration of Cr(VI) in solution for H-HCl. Furthermore the enhancement of removal of Cr(VI) was observed from pH 3 to 4. The results are discussed to highlight the influence of acid activation on Cr(VI) adsorption characteristics of the clays.     

Adsorption of hexavalent chromium onto montmorillonite modified with hydroxyaluminum and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

Aluminum hydroxypolycation and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) were chosen to synthesize inorganic-organic pillared montmorillonite. Three different methods were employed for the intercalation. The characteristics of natural and modified montmorillonite were determined with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), and zeta potential. It was found that aluminum hydroxypolycation and CTMAB had either entered the interlayer or sorbed on the external surface of the clay. Different intercalation orders can result in different structures. Batch adsorption of hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) onto modified montmorillonite was also investigated. The experimental data revealed that if aluminum hydroxypolycation was intercalated before CTMAB, the adsorption capacity was better than that of intercalated simultaneously or CTMAB pre-intercalated. The pH of the solution and environmental temperature had significant influences on the adsorption of Cr⁶⁺. The optimal pH for the removal was about 4, and the temperature of 298 K was best suitable. All adsorption processes were rapid during the first 5 min and reached equilibrium in 20 min. The adsorption kinetics can be described quite well by pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption rates of ACM, CAM and ACCOM were 3.814, 0.915, and 3.143 mg/g/min, respectively. The adsorption capacities of Cr⁶⁺ at 298 K on ACM, CAM, and ACCOM inferred from the Langmuir model were 11.970, 6.541, and 9.090 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption of Cr⁶⁺ on modified montmorillonite was mainly induced by the surface charge and the complexation reaction between CTMA⁺ and hexavalent chromium species at the edge of the clay particle.     

溶胶-凝胶方法制备ZrO2及聚合物掺杂ZrO2单层光学增反射膜

以丙醇锆(Zr(OPr)₄)为原料，乙酸(HAc)为络合剂，聚乙二醇(PEG200)和聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)为大分子添加剂，在乙醇体系中成功合成了ZrO₂及聚合物掺杂ZrO₂溶胶.用旋涂法在K9玻璃基片上制备单层光学增反射膜.借助小角X射线散射和激光动态光散射技术研究胶体的微结构.采用傅里叶变换红外光谱、差示扫描量热分析、X射线衍射分析、原子力显微镜、紫外/可见/近红外透射光谱以及椭偏仪对薄膜的结构和光学性能进行表征.用输出波长为1064 关键词： 二氧化锆 溶胶-凝胶 增反射膜 激光损伤     

Characterization of clay and pillared clay catalysts

High-resolution solid-state NMR (²⁹Si and ²⁷Al), as well as Fourier transform IR and X-ray diffraction are shown to be of considerable value in characterizing pillared clays and various un-pillared clays consisting of one or other of the following interlamellar ions: Li⁺, Na⁺, Cs⁺, NH⁺₄ and Al³⁺. The catalytic activities of clays prior to and after pillaring are briefly discussed.     

Pillar effects in MoS2 catalysts supported on Al and Zr pillared clays in a hydrotreatment reaction: A preliminary study

Molybdenum (Mo) supported on aluminum-pillared clay (Al-PILC) and zirconium-pillared clay (Zr-PILC) with contents of 0.6, 1.4 and 2.8 atoms of Mo/nm² were prepared and tested in the hydrogenation (HYD) of naphthalene (NP). It was found that the molybdenum sulfide (MoS₂) catalysts supported on Zr- pillared clays were more active than the samples supported on Al-pillared clays and catalysts supported on alumina. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen adsorption and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Characterization analysis clearly pointed out to a close interaction of MoS₂ with ZrO₂ in the pillared clays. Therefore, the highest hydrogenation activities can be related to the presence of an interaction of MoS₂ with ZrO₂, probably with a different electronic interaction between the active phase and the support, than that reported for the MoS₂/Al₂O₃ system.     

Hyperfine characterization of the crystallization of nanocrystalline NiFe2O4 from the amorphous silica gel

Nanocrystalline NiFe₂O₄ was in‐situ prepared in amorphous silica using tetramethylor‐thosilicate and nickel (iron) nitrate hydrate as the starting materials in a sol‐gel reaction. The magnetic nanocrystals in the amorphous silica glasses grew slowly with increasing temperature. Above 600^○C, nickel ferrite nanoparticles began to precipitate from the amorphous silica matrix. Mössbauer spectroscopy of the nanocomposites suggested that in the silica glasses, Fe ions were present exclusively as Fe³⁺ in octahedral coordination, and the chemical environment of the Fe³⁺ ions appeared to remain unchanged until the crystallization of nickel ferrite nanocrystals. The formation of NiFe₂O₄ nanocrystals was the result of partial transformation of the FeO₆ octahedra to FeO₄ tetrahedra. The nanocrystalline NiFe₂O₄ are characterized by super‐paramagnetic behaviour at room temperature.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of methane in sodium montmorillonite clay hydrates at elevated pressures and temperatures

Computer simulation has been used to study the structure and dynamics of methane in hydrated sodium montmorillonite clays under conditions encountered in sedimentary basins. Systems containing approximately one, two, three and four molecuiar layers of water have followed gradients of 150 bar km^?1 and 30Kkm^?1, to a maximum burial depth of 6 km (900 bar and 460 K). Methane is coordinated to approximately 19 oxygen atoms, of which typically 6 are provided by the clay surface. Only in the three- and four-layer hydrates is methane able to leave the clay surface. Diffusion depends strongly on the porosity (water content) and burial deth self-diffusion coefficients are in the range 0.12 × 10^?9m²S^?1 < D < 12.65 × 10^?9m²s^?1 for water and 0.04 × 10^?9m²s^?1 < D < 8.64 × 10^?9m²s^?1 for methane. Bearing in mind that porosity decreases with burial depth, it is estimated that maximum diffusion occurs at around 3 km. This is in good agreement with the known location of methane reservoirs in sedimentary basins.     

Different modes and consequences of electron transfer in intercalation compounds

Intercalation reactions form one of the most versatile types of solid-state reactions known. Considering the layered host lattices they form an interesting access to artificial multilayers of very different properties. Many of these reactions are connected with redox processes. After a very short and general overview on the intercalation chemistry in layered host lattices, three different types of charge transfer accompanied with intercalation will be considered in detail and the consequence for the properties of the products will be discussed: (a) by means of electrointercalation into conducting host lattices (e.g. 2H-TaS₂) electrons are transferred to the conduction band of the host accompanied with the simultaneous uptake of cations (here organic cations like methylene blue, methylviologen) in the interlayer space. Potential vs. time curves give valuable information about two-phase regions, homogeneity ranges and deviations from equilibrium. The consequence for the superconducting properties is shown; (b) treating the graphite intercalation compound C₂₄(HSO₄)(H₂SO₄) with strong oxidants leads to graphite oxide (GO). The oxidant is directly attached to the carbon network forming C–OH and C–O–C functions. Applying ¹³C MAS NMR of GO (and derivatives) we could identify the ether function as epoxide groups. This result has strong implications for the chemical behaviour of GO and could lead to new carbon networks; (c) clay minerals containing iron in the octahedral layers can undergo changes of the oxidation state of Fe-ions. We have found in vermiculites from Spain that Fe²⁺ can be oxidized completely to Fe³⁺, whereas the degree of reduction of the Fe³⁺ is rather restricted but varies with the composition of the clay. However, the extent of reduction can be strongly increased by heating the reduced samples.     

Ionic transport studies in hyperbranched polyurethane/clay nanocomposite gel polymer electrolytes

In the present work, we report a novel nanocomposite gel electrolytes based on intercalation of hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU) into organically modified montmorillonite for application in Li-ion batteries. The nanocomposites have been prepared by solution intercalation technique with varying clay loading. The formation of partially exfoliated nanocomposites has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Nanocomposites were soaked with 1 M LiCO₄ in 1:1 (v/v) solution of propylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate to get the required gel electrolytes. AC impedance analysis shows that ionic conductivity increases with the increase of clay loading and attains the highest value of 8.3?×?10^?3 S/cm for 5 wt.% clay concentration. Surface morphology of the nanocomposite electrolytes has been examined by SEM analysis. Improvement of electrochemical properties, viz., electrochemical potential window and interfacial stability, is also observed in the clay-loaded HBPU samples.     

柱撑粘土分子筛的红外光谱研究

用红外光谱法测定了混合金属羟基配合物柱撑粘土的表面酸性和表面羟基振动。结果表明，粘土和柱撑粘土均具有Ｌｅｗｉｓ酸和Ｂｒｏｎｓｔｅｄ酸（分别简称Ｌ酸和Ｂ酸）中心，且以Ｌ酸为主；不同柱剂交联的柱撑粘土的表面酸性也有所不同；层间柱是柱撑粘土酸性的重要来源，焙烧后它可转变成氧化物柱并释放出质子而产生Ｌ酸和Ｂ酸中心；柱撑粘土分子筛的羧基谱带主要来自六配位铝，其强度随焙随焙烧温度升高而下降；层间柱的稳定对其表     

Direct synthesis and characterization of highly ordered functional mesoporous silica thin films with high amino-groups content

A series of continuous, crack-free, highly ordered amino-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films have been directly synthesized by co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) in the presence of cationic CH₃(CH₂)₁₅N⁺(CH₃)₃Br⁻ (CTAB), nonionic C₁₆H₃₃(OCH₂CH₂)₁₀OH (Brij-56) or triblock copolymer H(OCH₂CH₂)₂₀(OCH(CH₃)CH₂)₇₀(OCH₂CH₂)₂₀)OH (P123) surfactant species under acidic conditions by sol-gel dip-coating. The molar ration of APTES/(TEOS + APTES) in the starting sol attains a value of 0.4. The effect of the sol aging on the mesostructure of thin films is systematically studied, and the optimal sol aging time is obtained for different surfactant systems. The amino-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films exhibit long-range ordering of 2D hexagonal (p6mm) and 3D cubic (Fm3m) pore arrays of size range from 2.2 to 8.3 nm following surfactants extraction as demonstrated by XRD, TEM and physical adsorption techniques. Based on BET surface area and weight loss, the surface coverage of amino-groups for thin films prepared using different surfactants is calculated to be 3.2 and above amino-groups per nm², which is very useful and promising for incorporating inorganic ions and biomolecules into these mesoporous silica materials.     

Effects of Modifier Concentration on Structure and Viscoelastic Properties of Copolyester/Clay Nanocomposites

Abstract

Poly(ethylene glycol‐co‐cyclohexane‐1,4‐dimethanol terephthalate)(PETG)/clay nanocomposites were prepared via melt intercalation technique. The effects of concentration of the organic modifier in the clay on the properties of the nanocomposites were studied. Three clays modified using the same alkyl ammonium modifier, but differing in modifier concentration, are used for this purpose. The nanocomposites are characterized using wide‐angle x‐ray diffraction for their structure. Dynamic mechanical analysis of these nanocomposites is also studied to investigate their viscoelastic behaviors. The x‐ray diffraction study shows an increase in the interlayer spacing of organically modified clays as compared to that of Na⁺ clay. The extent of increase in the interlayer spacing is dependent on the concentration of organic modifier used to modify the montmorillonite. The presence of well‐defined diffraction peaks and the observed increase in the interlayer spacing in the nanocomposites imply the formation of an intercalated hybrid. Dynamic mechanical properties show an increase in the storage modulus of the nanocomposite over the entire temperature range studied, as compared to the pristine polymer. Investigation of the rubbery plateau modulus confirms the reinforcing effect of organically modified clay. The observed enhancement in the modulus was greater for the clay with the lowest content of the organic modifier. These results indicate that in nanocomposites, apart from the compatibility of the organic modifier with the polymer, its concentration in the interlayer also plays a critical role in the structure development and thus in the enhancement of the properties. The nanocomposites showed reduced damping, which was governed by the modifier concentration in the clay.     

Variations in the structural, optical and electrochemical properties of CeO2-TiO2 films as a function of TiO2 content

Alcohol based sols of cerium chloride (CeCl₃·7H₂O) and titanium propoxide (Ti(OPr)₄) in ethanol mixed in different mole ratios have yielded mixed oxide films on densification at 500 °C. The reversibility of the intercalation/deintercalation reactions has shown electrochemical stability of the films. Addition of TiO₂ in an equivalent mole ratio manifests in producing highly transparent films with appreciable ion storage capacity. The electrochemical studies have revealed the significant role of TiO₂ in controlling the ion storage capacity of the films, as it tends to induce the disorder. In addition, the films prepared from an aged sol are observed to exhibit a much higher ion storage capacity than the films deposited using the as-prepared sol. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies have provided information on the variation of Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ ratio as a function of increased TiO₂ content in the films. This study has led to a better understanding of the increased ion storage capacity with the increased TiO₂ proportion. The transmission electron microscopic study has demonstrated the presence of CeO₂ nanograins even in films, which are amorphous to X-rays. Elucidation of the structural, optical and electrochemical features of the films has yielded information on aspects relevant to their usage in transmissive electrochromic devices. The films have been found to exhibit properties that can find application as counter electrode in electrochromic smart windows in which they are able to retain their transparency under charge insertion, high enough for practical uses. Also, the fastest coloration-bleaching kinetics for the primary electrochromic electrode (WO₃) working in combination with Ce/Ti (1:1) electrode stimulates the use of latter in electrochromic windows (ECWs).