Layered double hydroxides - multifunctional nanomaterials

Layered double hydroxides (LDH's), also known as anionic clays, are lamellar inorganic solids. The structure of most of them corresponds to that of mineral hydrotalcite, consisting of brucite-like hydroxide sheets, where partial substitution of trivalent or divalent cations results in a positive sheet charge compensated by reversibly exchangeable anions within interlayer galleries. These layered materials have good intercalation properties capturing inorganic and organic ions and they are promising materials for a large number of practical applications, both for direct preparation and for after thermal treatment. Over the past decade, significant interest has been devoted to the synthesis of LDHs with new compositions allowing improved applications in many areas. This contribution reviews the recent advances in water treatment, nuclear waste treatment/storage, catalytic, industrial, and advanced applications and biomedical applications of LDH-based nanomaterials. (C) 2011 Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences