Evolution structurale de la nacrite en fonction de la nature des molécules organiques intercalees

Abstract : Nacrite has been intercalated with two polar organic molecules: dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N-methylacetamide (NMA). The homogeneous nacrite complexes have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The XRD study is based on a comparison between experimental and calculated patterns. The structures of the intercalated compounds have been determined, including the mutual positions of the layers after intercalation and the positions of the intercalated molecules in the interlayer space. It has been shown that the intercalation process causes not only a swelling of the interlayer space but also a shift in the mutual in-plane positions of the layers. This shift depends on the nature of the intercalated molecules and is related to their shape and the hydrogen bonds which are established with the surrounding surfaces. For a given molecule, the intercalation process is the same for the different polytypes of the kaolinite family. These XRD results are consistent with those of IR spectroscopy