The structure of interlayer water in Wyoming montmorillonite studied by neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution

We have used neutron diffraction with H/D isotopic substitution to obtain t he weighted sum, G(HX)(r), of partial radial distribution functions centred on interlayer water hydrogen in Na- and Li-montmorillonite clays. The area of the intermolecular O-H peaks shows that extensive hydrogen bonding occu rs in the interlayer water, even for the one-layer hydrates where the inter layer space is only ca. 6 Angstrom thick. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.