Optimized Nanoclay With Enhancement Properties Could Be the Next Innovative Tool in Synthetic Materials Chemistry

Chemists have an innovative addition to their tools by discovering optimized clay minerals known as nanoclay.

State-of-the-Art Nano Mineral

A team of experts from the University of Missouri designed the microscopic materials made out of clay, marking a breakthrough in chemistry. In their study, the scientists developed chemical layers customized to perform specific tasks based on their target outcome.

The nanoclays developed by the research team represent chemical building blocks intended to perform specific functions. They are constructed into extremely thin, two-dimensional microscopic layers thinner than a strand of human DNA and even a hundred thousand times thinner than a sheet of paper.

The research team aims to make the nanoclay perform whatever they want it to build. To do this, the chemical components at the surface of the nanoclay are customized in terms of their function and shape, utilizing the electrically charged surface as the fundamental part of the material. According to research co-principal investigator Gary Baker, the microscopic material they developed is analogous to a magnet where the positively charged particles will stick to the negatively charged ones.

For example, the positively charged nanoclays can attract a group of dangerous fluorinated chemicals called PFAS which are negatively charged. Meanwhile, if the nanoclay is made to be negatively charged, it can adhere to heavy metal ions such as the toxic cadmium, which contaminates bodies of water.

Aside from electrical charge, the nanoclay can also be tailor-made using different chemical components where the parts are mixed and matched. This makes the material very useful in designing diagnostic sensors for explosive detection or biomedical imaging.

In materials science, two-dimensional structures are highly sought after since they can superficially coat the exterior of a bulky item in a thin, conformal layer. The 2D materials can also thoroughly introduce various surface properties than those found underneath.

Baker and his colleagues are confident that mixing and matching items such as ions or gold nanoparticles will allow experts to design chemistry tools that have never existed before quickly. The more the nanoclay is customized, the more it opens a broader range of useful applications.

What are the Properties of a Nanoclay?

A nanoclay is a clay mineral made of phyllosilicates, compounds based on combining silicon, oxygen, and other components. This material has a layered structure, enabling it to swell or shrink as water accumulates or withdraws between layers. Scientists can also increase its volume up to six times by water absorption to form stable gels. Due to its various enhancement properties, a nanoclay can be useful in different sectors.

Since nanoclays are not flammable, they can be used to protect plastics from fire. Nanoclays can also be added to plastic to help the material achieve enhanced barrier and abrasion properties. When bound with cesium, nanoclays can effectively reduce radioactive contamination.

Another property of this innovative material is self-ignition. Nanoclays can set fire even as a finely divided combination with dust with the help of an ignition source. There is also no risk of dust explosion since nanoclays are not flammable.