Functionalized Montmorillonite Clays for Ionic Liquid Adsorption and Water Remediation

This book provides a comprehensive and in-depth investigation of zirconium-pillared montmorillonite (zr-pilc) as an advanced inorganic host for ionic liquids in aqueous media.Positioned at the intersection of clay mineralogy, surface chemistry, and materials science, the work explores how the structural engineering of layered aluminosilicates can be exploited to control the confinement, stability, and adsorption behavior of imidazolium-based ionic liquids. In particular, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (bmimcl) is employed as a model ionic liquid due to its widespread use in catalysis, extraction, green solvents, and electrochemical applications. The book begins with a rigorous description of the preparation of homoionic sodium montmorillonite and its subsequent modification by zirconium pillaring. The pillaring process, based on the intercalation of polyhydroxy zirconium species into the interlayer galleries of montmorillonite, is shown to generate a thermally stable, permanently expanded lamellar architecture. This engineered microstructure dramatically alters the interlayer electrostatic field, surface acidity, and pore accessibility, thereby creating a tunable host matrix for organic ionic species. A full physicochemical characterization of the pristine, homoionic, and zr- pillared clays is presented using complementary techniques including x- ray diffraction (xrd), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ft-ir), thermogravimetric analysis (tga), and nitrogen physisorption. Xrd measurements demonstrate a significant expansion of the basal spacing from approximately 12.2 å in na-montmorillonite to over 16 å after zirconium pillaring, confirming the successful formation of stable oxide pillars within the interlayer galleries. Ft-ir spectroscopy reveals modifications in the hydroxyl environment and surface functional groups, while tga provides insight into the thermal stability and the interaction of Ionic liquids with the clay framework. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption analyses further elucidate the evolution of textural properties, including surface area, pore volume, and micro- to mesoporosity transitions induced by pillaring.

Pagina's: 40, Paperback, Eliva Press