Acrylate intercalation andin situ polymerization in iron substituted nickel hydroxides

Abstract

Acrylic monomers and polymers have been intercalated in the lamellar structure of an iron substituted nickel layered double hydroxide (LDH) (Ni:Fe=7:3). The synthesis consists of an original step-by-step soft chemistry preparation route in which the formation of the Ni0.7 Fe0.3O2 slabs is dissociated from intercalation stage of anionic species. Acrylate, methacrylate and 4-pentenoate anions have been intercalated and the interslab distance of the corresponding nanocomposite materials reaches up to 13.6 Å with 4-pentenoate. In the case of acrylate intercalated materials, the use of free-radical initiated polymerization conditions led to layered materials with interslab distances close to that obtained through direct intercalation of a preformed poly(acrylic acid-co-sodium acrylate) (M̄w=5000). Some sulphate anions originating from the potassium persulphate initiator are simultaneously intercalated by anionic exchange. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry