Lamellar hexadecyltrimethylammonium silicates derived from kanemite

Lamellar organoammonium silicates with variable silicon environments have b een synthesized by the reaction of a layered polysilicate kanemite with aqu eous solutions of hexadecyltrimethylammonium (C(16)TMA) chloride. While the structure of kanemite is composed of only Q(3) silicate species ((SiO)(3)S iO), SiO4 units with both Q(3) and Q(4) ((SiO)(4)Si) environments were pres ent in the silicate frameworks of the lamellar C(16)TMA silicates. The Q(4) species mainly formed by intralayer condensation of the Q(3) species in th e individual silicate sheets in kanemite rather than by interlayer condensa tion between the adjacent sheets. The intralayer condensation can be suppre ssed by lowering the reaction temperature and/or shortening the reaction ti me, which results in the relative retention of the silicate framework of ka nemite in the lamellar C(16)TMA silicates.