Al-pillared saponites - Part 4. Pillaring with a new Al-13 oligomer containing organic ligands

A saponite from Ballarat (USA) was intercalated with the recently described aluminium polycation [Al-13(mu(3)-OH)(6)(mu(2)-OH)(12)(heidi)(6)(H2O)(6)]( 3+). Different Al:heidi ratios during the preparation of the intercalating solutions and Al:clay ratios during the intercalation process were consider ed. Solids with a basal spacing of 21.8-25.3 Angstrom were obtained in this way, the ordering in their structure depending on the Al:heidi and Al:clay ratios. The surface area of these samples was very low, about 25 m(2) g(-1 ), probably because of the large size of the polycations that fill up the i nternal galleries of the solids. When calcining the intercalated solids at 500 degrees C, pillared solids with basal spacings of about 16-17.5 Angstro m were obtained, by elimination of the organic part of the polycations. The surface area of the pillared solids increased to values up to 350 m(2) g(- 1).