RESUMO
A novel preparation route for layered hydroxide based hybrid phases has been investigated combining the polyol route with the in situ generation of inorganic platelets, in the presence of an amphiphilic polymer as well as bola-amphiphiles. The polyol route consists of hydrolysis in an alcoholic medium containing acetate metal cations as precursor(s), to yield an LDH Zn2Al cation composition or LSH-Zn (layered single hydroxide). A bola amphiphile is described as hydrophobic polymer segment-telechelic-chains terminated by two anionic hydrophilic end groups, using volatile ammonium cations as counter ions. The impact of both process conditions as well as the chosen system with regard to the metal hydroxide framework on the morphology of the obtained hybrid phases is scrutinized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and compared to that of the corresponding physical mixture. For the ex situ approach, the diffusion of large cumbersome polymers or amphiphilic bolas between the inorganic platelets was found to be efficient, mostly driven by an anion exchange reaction between interleaved acetate anions and carboxylate functions of the molecular backbones, and keeping intact the inner sheet integrity through a topotactic process. In particular with LSH-Zn, a multi-stratified assembly has been observed combining an acetate pristine structure and a partly bola diffused structure, leading to a biphasic structure, aggregated and intercalated. To the best of our knowledge, observation of LSH-Zn single platelets has never been reported, making the combined process polyol/in situ an interesting new route to reach exfoliation. Indeed, it leads to the generation of either LSH or LDH platelets of lateral size ranging from 10 up to 200 nm. However, the platelets were found to be porous; it is considered as a drawback for barrier properties. It is our belief that such porosity may open new insights in "tectonic" architecture by intertwining 2D and 1D-type fillers. Rather counterintuitively, the ex situ approach based on a topotactic exchange reaction matches the in situ templating reaction in many cases as a function of the dispersion state regardless of the polymer or bolas as well as the platelet cation composition.
RESUMO
For many decorative applications like industrial and architectural paints, prevention of metal substrates from corrosion is a primary function of organic coatings. Triggered release of inhibitor species is generally accepted as a remedy for starting corrosion in case of coatings damage. A polyurethane based coating, doped with bola-amphiphiles of varying molecular weight but with a common head group motif that stems from ring-opened alkenyl succinic anhydride, enables passivation of the defect and mitigates cathodic delamination, if applied on cold rolled steel. An antagonistic effect results from the intercalation of the bola-amphiphiles into layered double hydroxide Zn2Al(OH)6 and subsequent incorporation of the hybrid phase into the organic matrix. In particular higher molecular weight bola-amphiphiles get immobilized through alkaline degradation of the layered framework in the basic milieu at the cathode. By means of sediments from colloidal states it is demonstrated that in-situ formed zinc oxide encapsulates the hybrid phase, evidenced by impeded dissolution of the ZnO based shell into caustic soda. While inhibition of steel corrosion results from a Donnan barrier layer, impeded zinc oxide dissolution is rooted in zinc catalyzed bola-amphiphile hydrolysis and layered deposition of the crystalline spacer diol hydrogenated bisphenol-A.
RESUMO
Layered Single Hydroxide (LSH) of chemical composition Zn5(OH)8(acetate)2·nH2O is synthesized under in situ condition in an aqueous dispersion of an amphiphilic, carboxylate bearing polyester via a modified polyol route. The one-pot LSH generation yields agglomerates of well intercalated platelets, 9-10nm separated from each other. However the corresponding Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) of formal composition Zn2Al(OH)6 (acetate)·nH2O is found to proceed via the formation of crystallized, similarly spaced LSH sheets in the neighborhood of amorphous Al rich domains as evidenced by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron micrographs. The initial phase segregation effaces over time while LSH platelets convert into the LDH phase. Fingerprinted by the change of in-plane cation accommodation, the associated topochemical reaction of the edge-sharing octahedral LSH platelets involves the transformation of metal lacunae, adjacently covered by one tetrahedral coordinated cation on each side to balance the negative surcharge, into fully occupied and monolayered platelets of edge-sharing octahedral LDH, the former voids being occupied by trivalent cations. This replenishing process of empty sites, coupled with the dissolution of tetrahedral sites is likely to be observed for the first time due to the presence of well separated, polymer intercalated platelets. TEM pictures vision crystal growth arising from the zone of the LSH edge-slab and by using solid state kinetics formalism the associated high activation energy of the first-order reaction agrees well with a plausible dissolution re-precipitation mechanism. The conversion of LSH into LDH platelets may be extended to others cations as Co(2+), Cu(2+), as well as the aluminum source (AlCl3) and the water-soluble polymer (NVP), thus indicating it is a new prevalent facet of LDH.