Synthesis of novel marigold-like carbonate-type Mg–Al layered double hydroxide micro-nanostructures via a two-step intercalation route

Abstract

Novel marigold-like carbonate-type Mg–Al layered double hydroxide (MgAl-CO3-LDH) micro-nanostructures with surface curved and intercrossed nanosheets were synthesized successfully via a two-step intercalation route, which involved a primary intercalation of dodecylsulfonate (DS−) anion through urea hydrolysis, followed by exchanging interlayer DS− anions with CO32− anions in the presence of a cationic type surfactant (hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide). The possible formation mechanism of such MgAl-CO3-LDH micro-nanostructure was proposed tentatively. Furthermore, the resulting Mg–Al mixed metal oxides obtained by calcining MgAl-CO3-LDH at 500°C still maintain the three-dimensional marigold-like morphology to some extent, indicative of the high thermal stability of micro-nanostructures. The findings in this work may provide a feasible approach for the special morphosynthesis of carbonate-type LDH nanomaterials.