Interlayer grafting of glycidol (2,3-epoxy-1-propanol) on kaolinite

Abstract

An organic–inorganic nanohybrid material was prepared by grafting glycidol (2,3-epoxy-1-propanol) on the interlayer aluminol groups of kaolinite (K) using DMSO–K precursor as a starting material. The results of the physicochemical characterization of the synthesized materials (XRD, FTIR, DTA–TG, 13 C and 29 Si CP/MAS NMR) confirm that the grafting reaction of glycidol involved the opening of the oxirane ring. The resulting nanohybrid material is similar to the one obtained by the interlayer grafting of glycerol (M. Janek, K. Emmerich, S. Heissler, and R. Nüesch. Chem. Mater. 19, 684, (2007)). Approximately, one glycidol moiety is grafted on each structural unit of kaolinite to afford a material with the chemical composition Al 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 [C 3 H 6 O 2 ] 0.9 .Key words: clays, clay minerals, kaolinite, intercalation, grafting, nanohybrid materials, DMSO, glycidol, glycerol, oxirane.