Intercalation compound of VOPO4 center dot 2H(2)O with acrylamide: preparation and exfoliation

Reaction of acrylamide with vanadium phosphorus oxide VOPO4. 2H(2)O at room temperature yielded the intercalation compound without degradation of the VOPO4 layers. Two types of intercalation compounds were formed: the interca lation compound washed with n-heptane accommodated acrylamide with a bilaye r arrangement, and the sample washed with acetone occluded the guest specie s with a monolayer. Both the VOPO4-acrylamide intercalation compounds were exfoliated in 1- or 2-butanol. The exfoliated oxide layers were reconstruct ed to layered VOPO4 materials by removal of the solvents, while acrylamide was partly deintercalated during the exfoliation-reconstruction process. Th e layered materials reconstructed from the exfoliated VOPO4 layers were cha racterized by their morphology: the reconstructed samples consisted of aggr egated small flakes which were morphologically very different from relative ly large square platelets observed for both the starting vanadium phosphoru s oxide and the initial intercalation compound.