Hydration, swelling, interlayer structure, and hydrogen bonding in organolayered double hydroxides: insights from molecular dynamics simulation of citrate-intercalated hydrotalcite

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the Mg/Al (3:1) layered double hydroxide (LDH), hydrotalcite (HT), containing citrate, C6H5O7(3-), as the charge balancing interlayer anion provides new molecular scale insight into the interlayer structure, hydrogen bonding, and energetics of the hydration and consequent swelling of LDH compounds containing organic and biomolecules. Citrate-HT exhibits affinity for water up to very high hydration levels, in contrast to the preferred low hydration states of most LDHs intercalated with small, inorganic anions. This result is consistent with the recent experimental observation of the delamination of lactate-HT. The high water affinity is rationalized in terms of the preference of citrate ion for hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) donated from water molecules rather than from the hydroxyl groups of the metal hydroxide layer and the need to develop an integrated interlayer H-bond network among the citrate ions, water, and -OH groups of the hydroxide layers. The changes in the orientation of citrate molecules with progressive hydration are also intimately related to its preference to accept hydrogen bonds from water.