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Lepidocrocite-like ferrititanate nanosheets and their full exfoliation with quaternary ammonium compounds

Abstract:

Efficient methods for the synthesis of layered structure nanomaterials (nanosheets), their complete exfoliation (delamination) into the layers of atomic thickness and design of organic-inorganic nanohybrids present important stages toward development of improved polymer-based nanocomposites and pillared heterostructures with potential application in purification technologies such as photocatalysis. A rapid and efficient exfoliation process of protonated layered ferrititanates with lepidocrocite-like structure and formation of organic-inorganic nanohybrids is performed starting from the nanosheets composed of only a few host layers and nanometric lateral dimensions using quaternary ammonium compounds. These nanosheets are initially synthesized from a highly abundant precursor through an alkaline hydrothermal route. We demonstrated that dimethyldioctadecylammonium cations strongly interact with the exfoliated single host layers (0.75. nm thick) providing thermal stability (~ 500 °C) to the as-prepared organic-inorganic nanohybrid over the temperature range commonly applied for the processing of thermoplastic nanocomposites.