Intercalation of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide into mechanically activated V 2O 5 xerogel

Abstract

Intercalation of CTAB ( n-hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide) into V 2O 5 xerogels with and without preliminary mechanical activation was studied. The interlayer spacing at the steady state of intercalation, 1.445 nm, was very close to the 4 times a diameter of the alkyl chains (1.452 nm) and twice as large as the lattice constant, b, of the crystalline CTAB (0.726 nm), so that the interfoliar CTAB was reasonably assumed to be parallel to the lamellar structure. This was preceded, however, by the vertical position at the beginning of the intercalation. The initial stage of intercalation was accelerated significantly by mechanical activation. Addition of 25 wt% dioxane to the solvent retarded the initial state of intercalation as well as the later stabilization of intercalated CTAB.