POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF INTERCALATION

Recent knowledge of the kinetics and intercalation mechanisms are summ arized and accompanied by examples of intercalation reactions of water and ethanol into anhydrous vanadyl phosphate and redox intercalation of alkali metal cations into vanadyl phosphate dihydrate. Three possib le mechanisms of intercalation an presented which are based on: (i) a concept of exfoliation of layers; (ii) the formation of stages and ran domly stacked layers; (iii) co-existence of intercalated and non-inter calated parts of crystals of the host separated by an advancing phase boundary. The corresponding kinetic curves are ascribed to mechanisms (ii) and (iii).