Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and anionic clay are nano-ordered layered compounds and are well known for their ability to intercalate anionic compounds. Most LDHs are prepared conventionally only with di-and tri-valent cations. Alumina-silicate structures are very familiar in the literature as cationic clay or zeolite structure, however, there is no data for alumina-silicate as anionic clay. In this study, a new series of Zn-Al-Si LDHs with various Zn/Al/Si ratios, consisting of di-, tri-, and tetra-valent cations, were prepared and characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared spectra (IR), thermal analyses (TG, DTG and DTA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Characterization of the samples containing molar percentages of aluminum and silicon 20~40 % revealed formation of well crystallized phases, layered structures and no excess phases. XRD results and thermal analyses indicated that the carbonate anions have two orientations inside the interlayer region. After intercalation reactions with organic acids, mono-and di-carboxylic acids, the interlayer spacing of Zn-Al-Si LDH increased and organic-inorganic nano-hybrid materials formed. SEM images showed that the morphology of Zn-Al-Si LDH before and after intercalation reactions is plate-like structure. The results presented in this work conclude that the formation of the layer double hydroxide is not limited to the reactions between di-and trivalent cations, although these are the only reactions reported by many researchers.Keywords: Nano structured materials, nano layered materials, new layered double hydroxides, nano hybrid materials, host-guest interactions.
INTRODUCTIONNano structured materials are promising materials for a large number of practical applications such as catalysis, adsorption, microelectronics, pharmaceutics, photochemistry, food science, drug delivery, and electrochemistry [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].Layered double metal hydroxides (LDHs) or anionic clays are one of the nano structured materials. The net positive charge, which is due to substitution of trivalent ions by divalent metal ions in the brucite-like metal hydroxide M(OH) 2 , is balanced by an equal negative charge from the interlayer solvated anions. The general formula for these compounds is [MII 1-x MIII x (OH) 2 ] x+ A mx/m .nH 2 O, where MII and MIII are divalent and trivalent cations, respectively, and A m-represents the interlayer anions.Tichit et al. [18] and Das et al. [19] have studied the effect of inclusion of tetravalent metal (Zr) into the hydrotalcite-like structures (Mg/Al) and (Zn/Al). Recently, we reported that the preparation of Zn-Ti LDH, Zn-Al-Ti LDH, Co-Ti LDH and Co-Zr-Si LDH consisting of di-and tetra-valent cations is possible [20][21][22][23].In the field of catalysis, layer compounds which include foreign atoms, ions, or complexes in between the layers are most commonly encountered. Clays and related silicates have attracted most of the attention concerning...