Nanostructural materials; nanolayers and nanofibres

Abstract

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of synthetic two-dimensional nanostructured anionic clays whose structure can be described as nanolayered ordered material. In this work, we study the effect of inclusion of tetravalent cation (titanium) into the layers and the insertion of cyanate anions into the lamellar region on the formation of nanostructure. Co-Al LDH acts as a host and has interlayer spacing 0.79 nm in the case of cyanate anions as a guest. The IR-spectra confirmed the insertion of cyanate anions in the first time into the lamellar region of LDH structure. X-ray diffraction patterns of Co-Al-CNO LDH indicated layered structure and SEM images showed plate-like morphology. With the preparation of Co-Al-Ti LDH, X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed nanolayered structure while SEM images showed that the edges of layers became curved layers. In the preparation of Co-Ti LDH, SEM images showed nanofibrous and nanoneedles depending on the percentage of titanium. This study concludes that the inclusion of titanium into the layers directs nanolayers to be fibrous or needles structure.