Silver-layered double hydroxides self-assemblies

New inorganic ensembles type layered double hydroxides enriched with silver ions were investigated in terms of thermal behavior and structural evolution by means of TG-FTIR analysis. The studies were focused on two classes of layered precursors, actually distinguished only by the nature of the divalent metal ions, in order to correlate the influence of the clay structure with the thermal behavior of the silver-anionic clay ensembles. The understanding of the thermal degradation mechanism, which is essential to advance the potential applications, requires supplementary characterization techniques such as XRD and FTIR analyses. The thermal analysis performed at three different heating rates revealed the three thermal degradation stages typical for LDHs structure, but different from sample to sample as a consequence of the different interactions between the clay layers and the interlayer anions. The interpretation of the 3D FTIR spectra of the gaseous species resulting in each stage of the thermal degradation process, by means of standard IR spectra, indicates CO₂ and H₂O as main evolved gasses. Moreover, the evolution curves of the gaseous species released by the thermal degradation in air of the studied anionic clays point out that the two gaseous components are eliminated into the temperature ranges corresponding to those given by TG–DTG. The comparative study of the silver-LDH ensembles from the perspective of the structural evolution during the controlled heating suggest a better response from the ensemble with structure consisting of magnesium as divalent cation in the clay network, meaning a better thermal stability.