Grafting of montmorillonite with different functional silanes via two different reaction systems

Innovative Strategy for Truly Reversible Capture of Polluting Gases-Application to Carbon Dioxide

This paper consists of a deep analysis and data comparison of the main strategies undertaken for achieving truly reversible capture of carbon dioxide involving optimized gas uptakes while affording weakest retention strength. So far, most strategies failed because the estimated amount of CO2 produced by equivalent energy was higher than that captured. A more viable and sustainable approach in the present context of a persistent fossil fuel-dependent economy should be based on a judicious compromise between effective CO2 capture with lowest energy for adsorbent regeneration. The most relevant example is that of so-called promising technologies based on amino adsorbents which unavoidably require thermal regeneration. In contrast, OH-functionalized adsorbents barely reach satisfactory CO2 uptakes but act as breathing surfaces affording easy gas release even under ambient conditions or in CO2-free atmospheres. Between these two opposite approaches, there should exist smart approaches to tailor CO2 retention strength even at the expense of the gas uptake. Among these, incorporation of zero-valent metal and/or OH-enriched amines or amine-enriched polyol species are probably the most promising. The main findings provided by the literature are herein deeply and systematically analysed for highlighting the main criteria that allow for designing ideal CO2 adsorbent properties.

Investigation of herbicide sorption-desorption using pristine and organoclays to explore the potential carriers for controlled release formulation

Injudicious application of available commercial herbicide formulations leads to water, air and soil contamination, which adversely affect the environment, ecosystems and living organisms. Controlled release formulation (CRFs) could be an effective way to reduce the problems associated with commercially available herbicides. Organo-montmorillonites are prominent carrier materials for synthesising CRFs of commercial herbicides. Quaternary amine and organosilane functionalised organo-montmorillonite and pristine montmorillonite were used to investigate their potential as suitable carriers for CRFs in herbicide delivery systems. The experiment involved a batch adsorption process with successive dilution method. Results revealed that pristine montmorillonite is not a suitable carrier for CRFs of 2,4-D due to its low adsorption capacity and hydrophilic nature. Conversely, octadecylamine (ODA) and ODA-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) functionalised montmorillonite has better adsorption capacities. Adsorption of 2,4-D onto both organoclays is higher at pH.3 (232.58% for MMT1 and 161.29% for MMT2) compared to higher pH until pH.7 (49.75% for MMT1 and 68.49% for MMT2). Integrated structural characterisation studies confirmed the presence of 2,4-D on the layered organoclays. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm model fitted best to the experimental data, which revealed an energetically heterogeneous surface of the experimental organoclays, and adsorption which specifically involved chemisorption. The cumulative desorption percentages of adsorbed 2,4-D from MMT1_{(2,4-D loaded)} and MMT2_{(2,4-D loaded)} after seven desorption cycles were 65.53% and 51.45%, respectively. This outcome indicates: firstly, both organoclays are potential carrier materials for CRFs of 2,4-D; secondly, they have the ability to reduce the instantaneous release of 2,4-D immediately after application; and thirdly, eco-toxicity is greatly diminished.

Pickering emulsions synergistically stabilized by sugar beet pectin and montmorillonite exhibit enhanced storage stability and viscoelasticity

Sugar beet pectin (SBP) is a naturally occurring emulsifying type of pectin fabricated into nanocomposites with montmorillonite (MMT) and then introduced as a stabilizer for high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). SBP-MMT composites performed well in emulsifying medium-chain triglyceride with an oil volume fraction (φ) of 0.1-0.85 and SBP/MMT mass ratios of 1:0.1-1:0.75. The two representative high internal phase emulsions stabilized by SBP-MMT composites at different SBP/MMT mass ratios exhibited good stability against creaming and coalescence. In these emulsion systems, SBP and MMT formed a network in the continuous phase that markedly improved the rheological properties, including the storage modulus (by 3 orders of magnitude). Confocal light scattering microscopy analysis indicated that a fraction of MMT could work synergistically with SBP in adsorbing on oil droplet surfaces, enhancing stability. SBP-MMT composites stabilized high internal phase emulsions destabilized after the freeze-thaw treatment (-40 °C for 20 h and 25 °C for 4 h) but could be facilely re-emulsified via high-speed shearing. The gastrointestinal digestion behaviors were also modified by stabilizing SBP and MMT. Overall, this work reveals a hitherto undocumented strategy for fabricating highly stable emulsions based on SBP-MMT composites which have huge prospects for application in the food and related industries.

The important role of surface hydroxyl groups in aluminum activation during phyllosilicate mineral acidification

Phyllosilicate minerals are the important components in soils and an important source of activated aluminum (Al) during soil acidification. However, the mechanisms for Al activation in phyllosilicate minerals were not understood well. In this paper, the effect of phyllosilicate surface hydroxyl groups on Al activation during acidification was studied after the minerals were modified with inorganic and organic materials. After modification of kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite with fulvic acid (FA-), iron oxide (Fe-), Fe combined with FA (Fe-FA-), and siloxane (Si-O-), the interlayer spaces were altered. For instance, when modified with Fe, Fe entered the interlayer spaces of kaolinite and montmorillonite and changed the interlayer spaces of both minerals but did not affect that of illite. Also, the other modification methods had significant effects on the interlayer space of montmorillonite but not on kaolinite and illite. It was observed that all the modification strategies inhibited Al activation during acidification by reducing the number of hydroxyl groups on the mineral surfaces and inhibiting protonation reactions between H⁺ and hydroxyl groups. Nevertheless, the inhibition effect varies with the type of phyllosilicate mineral. For kaolinite (Kao), the inhibition effect of the different modification methods on Al activation during acidification followed: Fe-FA-Kao > Fe-Kao > Si-O-Kao > FA-Kao. Additionally, for montmorillonite (Mon), the inhibition effect was in the order: Si-O-Mon > Fe-Mon > Fe-FA-Mon > FA-Mon, while for illite, it was: Fe-illite > Si-O-illite ≈ Fe-FA-illite > FA-illite. Thus, the hydroxyl groups on the surfaces and edges of phyllosilicate minerals play an important role in the activation of Al from the mineral structure. Also, the protonation of hydroxyl groups may be the first step during Al activation in these minerals. The results of this study can serve as a reference for the development of new technologies to inhibit soil acidification and Al activation.

Thermostable water reservoirs in the interlayer space of a sodium hectorite clay through the intercalation of γ-aminopropyl(dimethyl)ethoxysilane in toluene

Treatment of Na⁺-based hectorite LAPONITE® (LAP) and of Na⁺-montmorillonite (MMT) with a homologous series of γ-aminopropyl(methyl)_x(ethoxy)_ysilanes (x + y = 3, y > 0) in toluene was studied by means of thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, ²⁹Si and ²³Na solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. The triethoxy silane (APTS) exclusively grafts on the clays' edges as branched oligomers whereas both the monoethoxy silane (APMS) and the diethoxy silane (APDS) are also intercalated, the latter as linear oligomers. Intercalation of APMS varies for MMT and LAP: MMT hosts the smallest amounts of the silanes with marginal increase of the basal distance and no stabilization of water. On the contrary, LAP accommodates the largest amount of guests in the form of monomeric APMS which yields the largest increase of the basal distance and stabilizes water up to 200 °C when APMS dimerizes. APMS stabilization is attributed to intramolecular Si-O-H-NH₂ hydrogen bonds and the hydrophobic geminal methyl groups together with the trimethylene sides of the cyclic monomers are thought to compartmentalize the hydrated sodium sites. The high temperature release of water from APMS@LAP is discussed in the light of potentially triggered interphase degradation in composite materials for recycling purposes.

Preparation of Triple-Functionalized Montmorillonite Layers Promoting Thermal Stability of Polystyrene

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of three different treatments on the morphology, microstructure, and the thermal characteristics of a montmorillonite (Mt) sample, by using hydrochloric acid (HCl), tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride (TTPC) surfactant, and γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS). The resultant nanofillers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the amount of chemical grafting of the γ-MPS was increased after the acid treatment, whereas the amount of intercalation of the TTPC surfactant was decreased. The preintercalation of TTPC or silylation of γ-MPS, for the Mt sample, had a certain hindrance effect on its subsequent silylation or intercalation treatments. Furthermore, the effect of four different nanofillers on the thermal stability properties of the polystyrene (PS) matrix were also investigated. The results showed an increase in thermal stability for the triple-functionalized Mt, compared with the double-functionalized samples. The onset decomposition temperatures and the maximum mass loss temperatures of the PS nanocomposites were increased by 27 °C and 32 °C, respectively, by the incorporation of triple-modified Mt, as a result of the good exfoliation and dispersion of the nanolayers, more favorable polymer-nanofiller interaction, as well as the formation of a more remarkable tortuous pathway in the continuous matrix.

Coupling of silver nanoparticle-conjugated fluorescent dyes into optical fiber modes for enhanced signal-to-noise ratio

We present the optical coupling of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-conjugated dye molecule into fiber optical modes for detecting fluorescence with the enhanced signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. This near field coupling of the excited state of organic dye (FAM) molecules into the fiber multimodes occurs by immobilizing them on the exposed surface of fiber core, permitting the coupled light to be guided along the fiber for detection. This fiber based scheme is the first attempt to single out the fluorescence using fiber modes not for carrying excitation light but only for collecting emission light via the dye-fiber coupling. The emission-selective coupling into fiber modes turns out to be effective in reducing the unwanted background noise arising from both the false detection of excitation light and bulk autofluorescence. This scheme differs from the previously reported fluorescence sensors based on waveguides where guided modes at λ_ex excite dye molecules via their evanescent fields. In addition, the local fields enhanced by AgNPs in close proximity to FAM molecules on the fiber core surface increase the rates of dye excitation and radiative decay/AgNP supported surface plasmon coupled emission. While focusing on demonstrating the proof-of-concept of the scheme presented, we obtain the maximum of 4.2-fold enhancement of the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in detecting fluorescence as compared to a conventional fluorescence detection scheme. The results presented in the fiber-based scheme may find an application where high S/N ratio fluorescence based biochemical assay is required in a small-sized device with remote sensing capability.

Pore wettability for enhanced oil recovery, contaminant adsorption and oil/water separation: A review

Wettability, a fundamental property of porous surface, occupies a pivotal position in the fields of enhanced oil recovery, organic contaminant adsorption and oil/water separation. In this review, wettability and the related applications are systematically expounded from the perspectives of hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity and super-wettability. Four common measurement methods are generalized and categorized into contact angle method and ratio method, and influencing factors (temperature, the type and layer charge of matrix, the species and structure of modifier) as well as their corresponding altering methods (inorganic, organic and thermal modification etc.) of wettability are overviewed. Different roles of wettability alteration in enhanced oil recovery, organic contaminant adsorption as well as oil/water separation are summarized. Among these applications, firstly, the hydrophilic alteration plays a key role in recovery of the oil production process; secondly, hydrophobic circumstance of surface drives the organic pollutant adsorption more effectually; finally, super-wetting property of matrix ensures the high-efficient separation of oil from water. This review also identifies importance, challenges and future prospects of wettability alteration, and as a result, furnishes the essential guidance for selection and design inspiration of the wettability modification, and supports the further development of pore wettability application.

A new sensor based on an amino-montmorillonite-modified inkjet-printed graphene electrode for the voltammetric determination of gentisic acid

An amperometric sensor based on an inkjet-printed graphene electrode (IPGE) modified with amine-functionalized montmorillonite (Mt-NH₂) for the electroanalysis and quantification of gentisic acid (GA) has been developed. The organoclay used as IPGE modifier was prepared and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, CHN elemental analysis, and thermogravimetry. The electrochemical features of the Mt-NH₂/IPGE sensor were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The sensor exhibited charge selectivity ability which was exploited for the electrochemical oxidation of GA. The GA amperometric response was high in acidic medium (Brinton-Robinson buffer, pH 2) due to favorable interactions between the protonated amine groups and the negatively charged GA. Kinetic studies were also performed by cyclic voltammetry, and the obtained electron transfer rate constant of 11.3 s^-1 indicated a fast direct electron transfer rate of GA to the electrode. An approach using differential pulse voltammetry was then developed for the determination of GA (at + 0.233 V vs. a pseudo Ag/Ag⁺ reference electrode), and under optimized conditions, the sensor showed high sensitivity, a wide working linear range from 1 to 21 μM (R² = 0.999), and a low detection limit of 0.33 μM (0.051 ± 0.01 mg L^-1). The proposed sensor was applied to quantify GA in a commercial red wine sample. The simple and rapid method developed using a cheap clay material could be employed for the determination of various phenolic acids.

Surface Laser-Marking and Mechanical Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymer Composites with Organically Modified Montmorillonite

In this study, organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) was prepared by modifying MMT with a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The obtained OMMT of different loading contents (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt %) was melt-blended with poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene) (ABS) to prepare a series of ABS/OMMT composites, which were laser marked using a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser beam of 1064 nm under different laser current processes. X-ray diffraction (XRD), color difference spectrometer, optical microscope, water contact angle tests, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy were carried out to characterize the morphology, structure, and properties of the laser-patterned ABS composites. The effects of the addition of OMMT and the laser marking process on the mechanical properties of ABS/OMMT composites were investigated through mechanical property tests. The results show that the obtained ABS/OMMT composites have enhanced laser marking performance, compared to the ABS. When the OMMT content is 2 wt % and the laser current intensity is 9 A, the marking on ABS composites has the highest contrast (ΔE = 36.38) and sharpness, and the quick response (QR) code fabricated can be scanned and identified with a mobile app. SEM and water contact angle tests showed that the holes, narrow cracks, and irregular protrusion are formed on the composite surface after laser marking, resulting in a more hydrophobic surface and an increased water contact angle. Raman spectroscopy and XRD indicate that OMMT can absorb the near-infrared laser energy, undergo photo thermal conversion, and cause the pyrolysis and carbonization of ABS to form black marking, and the crystal structure itself does not change significantly. When the 2 wt % of OMMT is loaded, the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength of ABS/OMMT are increased by 15, 20, and 14%, respectively, compared to ABS. Compared with the unmarked ABS/OMMT, the defects including holes and cracks generated on the surface of the marked one lead to the decreased mechanical property. The desirable combination of high contrast laser marking performance and mechanical properties can be achieved at an OMMT loading content of 2 wt % and a laser current intensity of 9 A. This research work provides a simple, economical, and environmentally friendly method for laser marking of engineering materials such as ABS.

Swelling suppression of black cotton soil by means of liquid immersion and surface modification

Although the surface organic modification of smectite has been investigated widely, the swelling behavior of clays has been scarcely studied with consideration of civil engineering applications. In this work a facile strategy of liquid-immersion (dilute H₂SO₄ aqeuous solution) was proposed, and the 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) was utilized as surface modifier to suppress expansibility of black cotton soil (BCS) which is a type of highly swelling soils in tropical areas. Factors such as the incorporation dosage of APS, surface characters of soil treated by solution of H₂SO₄ or Na₂CO₃, and reaction temperatures/time were investigated to get lower swelling ratios. The treatment of BCS by H₂SO₄ was found more effective in immobilizing APS molecules, and hydronium ions were suppressed after the APS modification. The free swelling index (FSI) of BCS was decreased from 120% to 15% after treatment with H₂SO₄ and appropriate amount of APS modification. The reaction can be completed within several hours at the room temperature to ~80 °C. The soil samples were characterized by different means including the X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis and Zeta potential measurements. The APS molecules were found to react with –OH groups of the clay, and the hydrophobic groups provide surface hydrophobicity, which prevents hydration of cations within clay minerals. The APS was indicated to re-constructed lamellar structures of smectites after H₂SO₄ treatment, which suppressed the intra-crystalline and the subsequent osmotic swelling. This research highlights the liquid immersion and surface modification is applicable in diminishing swelling ratios of highly expansive black cotton soil.

Sustained antibacterial activity of berberine hydrochloride loaded supramolecular organoclay networks with hydrogen-bonding junctions

The environmental risk from antibiotics is an issue of increasing concern. So, carboxymethyl β-cyclodextrin-functionalized montmorillonite nanosheets were for the first time successfully synthesized through a cheap, environmentally friendly and scalable approach and confirmed by FTIR, XRD and TGA. FE-SEM investigation showed that the resulting functional material could be further self-assembled into dense supramolecular organoclay networks (D-networks). The antibacterial properties of the D-networks loaded with natural berberine hydrochloride (BBH) were investigated toward E. coli and S. aureus by using colony growth on agar plates, bacterial growth curves based on optical densities, and confocal and fluorescence microscopy. Our studies demonstrated that the BBH loaded D-network antibacterial activity was concentration dependent and significantly exceeded that of free BBH. FE-SEM observation confirmed that E. coli and S. aureus can directly contact the D-networks and confocal and fluorescence microscopy showed that free BBH was only very poorly internalized, while the BBH released from the BBH-loaded D-network could be internalized efficiently into bacterial cells, resulting in an increment of the intracellular BBH level compared with the free BBH group. Time-dependent antibacterial activity was observed and it was found that the BBH-loaded D-network dispersion at the BBH dosage of 600 μg mL^-1 almost completely suppressed the growth of E. coli, leading to a viability loss of up to 98.45 ± 1.22%, while the BBH-loaded D-network dispersion at the BBH concentration of 250 μg mL^-1 exhibited a growth inhibition of 97.81 ± 0.83% toward S. aureus over three days. Our results suggest that supramolecular organoclay networks, in the future, may function as promising antibacterial drug carrier systems to promote BBH delivery in E. coli and S. aureus, which can reduce the environmental risk of antibiotics.

Ionic Liquids as Surfactants for Layered Double Hydroxide Fillers: Effect on the Final Properties of Poly(Butylene Adipate-Co-Terephthalate)

In this work, phosphonium ionic liquids (ILs) based on tetra-alkylphosphonium cations combined with carboxylate, phosphate and phosphinate anions, were used for organic modification of layered double hydroxide (LDH). Two different amounts (2 and 5 wt %) of the organically modified LDHs were mixed with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) matrix by melt extrusion. All prepared PBAT/IL-modified-LDH composites exhibited increased mechanical properties (20–50% Young’s modulus increase), decreased water vapor permeability (30–50% permeability coefficient reduction), and slight decreased crystallinity (10–30%) compared to the neat PBAT.

Nanocomposite Films of Laponite/PEG-Grafted Polymers and Polymer Brushes with Nonfouling Properties

We explore the suitability of nanocomposite thin films based on laponite nanomaterial and grafted antiadhesive polymers as transparent nonfouling surfaces. For this purpose, two polymers were chosen: a linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) silane, 2-[methoxy(polyethyleneoxy)propyl]-trimethoxysilane), and thermoresponsive poly(oligo ethylene glycol)-methyl ether-methacrylate (POEGMA) brushes. PEG silane was grafted on the laponite nanoparticles in solution yielding homogeneous and transparent thin films via a dip coating procedure on glass and silicon substrates. POEGMA was grafted on laponite-(3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) nanocomposite films that were processed similarly to PEG-silane using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Film characterization with, among others, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) attests to successful grafting of the polymers to the laponite nanoparticles. In particular, evidence of basal plane expansion of laponite with increasing silane concentration are obtained using XRD, while patent morphological changes are revealed with AFM. The results are discussed in terms of the different grafting sites on laponite and compared with literature. While LP-PEG-silane is easily applied to a surface from a precursor solution via a dip coating procedure LP-APTMS-OEGMA requires lots more chemicals, a thorough control of reaction parameters, and longer reaction time in order to generate films with the desirable properties. We therefore also addressed the antifouling properties of the films. These were tested together with control samples of bare glass and laponite thin films for 30 days in an algae container. More tests were conducted with fibroblast cell cultures. Our preliminary results show that grafting of PEG containing polymers and polymer brushes alters the properties of the laponite films from fouling to nonfouling surfaces. As a first estimate, the adhesion of particles (diatoms, algae, etc.) to surfaces is reduced by approximately 85% in the case of LP-PEG-silane and up to 92% in the case of LP-APTMS-POEGMA, in comparison to the control surfaces. Furthermore, practically no cell adhesion on such surfaces could be observed.

Influence of Melt-Mixing Process Conditions on Mechanical Performance of Organoclay/Fluoroelastomer Nanocomposites

In this study, Cloisite 20A, an organically modified Montmorillonite (Mnt), has been incorporated into Fluoroelastomer (FKM) through melt intercalation technique. Since the nanocomposite preparation method and conditions, and consequently, the resulting morphology play a critical role in the final properties, the effect of different process conditions such as time, temperature, and shear rate on the vulcanization, thermal and mechanical properties have been investigated. The morphology of nanocomposites, prepared at different melt-mixing conditions, was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Rheological, thermal and mechanical behaviors were investigated by moving die rheometer (MDR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile strength test respectively. Also, the crosslinking density has been measured for the nanocomposites. The best mechanical performance of clay/FKM nanocomposites was attained by optimization of the melt-mixing conditions. We achieved the following enhancements for FKM by clay incorporation: enhancement of tensile strength up to 70 %; elongation up to 94 %; and modulus up to 405 %. Process temperature was found to have a critical role in the final properties of the nanocomposites, while mixing residual time and shear rate had a moderate effect. The most desirable properties and curing behaviors, including highest maximum torques, cure rates, crosslinking densities, fast crosslinking kinetics, high intercalation and best improved tensile strengths, resulted with specific combination of melt-mixing parameters.

Transforming inorganic layered montmorillonite into inorganic–organic hybrid materials for various applications: a brief overview

The effects of various reaction parameters on the synthesis of silylated montmorillonites and several applications of these inorganic–organic layered materials are briefly overviewed in this review.

A synergic nanoantioxidant based on covalently modified halloysite–trolox nanotubes with intra-lumen loaded quercetin

Synergic antioxidant activity was achieved by grafting α-tocopherol derivatives on halloysite nanotubes, and by loading quercetin in the inner lumen.

Photo-induced SI-ATRP for the synthesis of photoclickable intercalated clay nanofillers

Design of functional and hairy nanoclay intercalated assemblies using tandem photoinduced surface initiated ATRP-1,3 dipolar cycloaddition/thiol-yne click reactions.

Constructing covalent interface in rubber/clay nanocomposite by combining structural modification and interlamellar silylation of montmorillonite

Strong interfacial interaction and nanodispersion are necessary for polymer nanocomposites with expectations on mechanical performance. In this work, montmorillonite (MMT) was first structurally modified by acid treatment to produce more silanol groups on the layer surface. This was followed by chemical modification of γ-methacryloxy propyl trimethoxysilane molecule (KH570) through covalent grafting with the silanol groups. (29)Si and (27)Al magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR results revealed the microstructural changes of MMT after acid treatment and confirmed the increase of silanol groups on acid-treated MMT surfaces. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated an increase in the grafted amount of organosilane on the MMT surface. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the functionalization process changed the highly ordered stacking structure of the MMT mineral into a highly disordered structure, indicating successful grafting of organosilane to the interlayer surface of the crystalline sheets. The styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/MMT nanocomposites were further prepared by co-coagulating with SBR latex and grafted-MMT aqueous suspension. During vulcanization, a covalent interface between modified MMT and rubber was established through peroxide-radical-initiated reactions, and layer aggregation was effectively prevented. The SBR/MMT nanocomposites had highly and uniformly dispersed MMT layers, and the covalent interfacial interaction was finally achieved and exhibited high performance.

Dendrimer-like assemblies based on organoclays as multi-host system for sustained drug delivery

Chemical modification of nanoclay will ensure further progress on these materials. In this work, we show that montmorillonite (MTM) nanosheets can be modified with β-cyclodextrin (CD) via a nucleophilic substitution reaction between mono-6-(p-toluenesulfonyl)-6-deoxy-β-CD and an amino group of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized MTM. The resulting MTM-APTES-CD can be further self-assembled into dendrimer-like assemblies, exhibit a well-dispersed property even in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline and do not aggregate for a period of at least 20days. The structure, morphology and assembly mechanism are systematically studied by (29)Si MAS NMR, FT-IR, (1)H NMR, SEM, FE-TEM, DLS and AFM, and the change in assemblies during the drug release is monitored using FE-TEM images. MTT assays indicate that the assemblies only have low cytotoxicity, while CLSM and TEM observations reveal that the assemblies can easily penetrate cultured human endothelial cells. When clopidogrel is used as a guest molecule, the assemblies show not only much higher loading capacities compared to MTM and other containing β-CD assemblies or nanoparticles, but also a sustained release of clopidogrel up to 30days. This is attributed to the fact that the guest molecule is both supramolecularly complexed within the dendritic scaffold and intercalated into CD and MTM hosts. Host-guest systems between assemblies and various guests hold promising applications in drug delivery system and in the biomedical fields.

Edge-modification of laponite with dimethyl-octylmethoxysilane

This study examines the edge modification of laponite, with a monoalkoxy silane, dimethyl-octylmethoxysilane. The influence of ultrasonics, aging time and silane concentration on the resultant materials is examined. The silylated clays are characterized by XRD, IES, TGA, and Si NMR. The amount of grafted silane was increased by increasing the ratio of silane to clay, sonication of the reaction mixture and ageing the reaction mixture for no more than 24 h to avoid removal of grafted silane due to equilibrium effects.