EVOLUTION OF BENZYLAMMONIUM-VERMICULITE AND ORNITHINE-VERMICULITE INTERCALATES

This report consists of a study of 1-ornithine hydrochloride-vermiculi te and of benzylammonium hydrochloride-vermiculite complex. The evolut ion of these organo-vermiculite structures upon heating is studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as infrared spectroscopy. fter heating vermiculite saturated with 1-ornithine cations, it shows condensation of interlayer ornithine molecules (peptide complexes). The stacking m ode, opposing ditrigonal cavities, is not modified between aminoacid c omplex and peptide complex. For vermiculite saturated with benzylammon ium cations, the stacking sequence changes through heating by changing benzylammonium to NH4+. This transformation implies a sliding of the layers over each other. The ditrigonal surface cavities become face to face, as in the original mica. There are no random translations as in the starting complex.