Reaction of hydroxy-Al oligocations with Ce3+- and La3+-exchanged montmorillonites, using 1.25, 1.60, or 2.0 mmole Al/g smectite, yielded partially pillared hydroxy-Al montmorillonite products containing a significant concentration of residual Ce3+ or La3+. After heat treatment at 250°C these products showed high surface areas (∼340–500 m2/g) and high basal X-ray powder diffraction spacings (18.0–18.6 Å). Calcination at 400°–700°C resulted in lower surface areas of ∼200–450 m2/g and basal spacings of 16.3–18.3 Å, the values showing a gradual decrease with a decrease in the Al/smectite weight ratio and/or increase in the heat-treatment temperature. A major modification and improvement in the cross-linking procedure was achieved by fast aging (6–48 hr) of the hydroxy-Al oligomeric solution at 95°–100°C, instead of conventional aging for 2–3 weeks at 25°C.

Fluorinated NH4+-montmorillonites, containing 0.4 to 2.1 wt. % F, were prepared by reaction of NH4+-montmorillonite at 60°C with 1.0 to 3.0 N aqueous solutions of NH4F. Interaction of the fluorinated montmorillonites with hydroxy-Al oligocations, using a ratio of 2.0 mmole Al/g smectite, yielded a series of cross-linked fluorinated montmorillonites with basal spacings of 17.9–18.0 Å and surface areas of 180–325 m2/g after heat treatment at 250°C. Calcination at 400°–500°C resulted in lower d(001) (16.6–17.7 Å) and surface-area values (140–300 m2/g). Increase in the fluorine content caused gradual decrease in both values. Transmission electron microscopy of pillared Ce-montmorillonite showed a highly oriented network of well-separated, parallel unit layers with an interlayer distance, Δd(001), of 9–10 Å. Calculated lateral (interpillar) distances were in good agreement with the pore-size distributions determined in independent adsorption studies.

Titanium was introduced into the montmorillonite structure by cation exchange with polymeric Ti cations, formed by partial hydrolysis of TiCl4 in HCl. On further hydrolysis and heating, TiO2 pillars in the form of anastase were formed between the montmorillonite layers. The resulting TiO2-cross-linked montmorillonites possessed surface areas in the range 200–350 m2/g and pore volumes of about 0.2 cm3/g and were thermally and hydrothermally stable to 700°C. The basal spacing of products heated at temperatures > 200°C was about 28Å, as determined by X-ray powder diffraction and by N2-desorption pore-size analysis. The surface area increased and the pore volume decreased with increasing HCl-concentration in the Ti-solution. The uptake of TiO2 by the montmorillonite, the surface area, and the pore volume increased with increasing amount of Ti added in the preparation, to about 10 mmoles of Ti/g of montmorillonite. A further increase in the amount of Ti added resulted in a decrease in surface area, but the pore volume and the uptake of TiO2 remained almost constant. The high porosity and the interlayer spacing of the product are consistent with a structure similar to that previously proposed for smectites, cross-linked with hydroxy-Al oligocations.

Large-pore La-Al-pillared montmorillonite was prepared by reacting montmorillonite with hydrothermally treated mixtures of aluminum chlorohydrate and lanthanum chloride. The large-pore La-Al-pillared montmorillonite is characterized by basal spacings of about 26 Å, surface areas of 300–500 mVg, and pore volumes in the range 0.2–0.3 cm2/g. Large-pore pillared montmorillonite products were obtained from solutions refluxed for >72 hr or treated in autoclaves at 120°–160°C for 12–96 hr. The most favorable pillaring solution for the production of large-pore La-Al-pillared montmorillonite had an OH/Al ratio of 2.5, a La:Al ratio of 1:5, and was 2.5 M with respect to Al. The elemental composition of large pore La-Al-pillared montmorillonite is similar to that of a conventional Al-pillared montmorillonite that has a basal spacing of about 19 Å. The 26-Å spacing is believed to be associated with the formation of large polymeric La-bearing Al-cations upon hydrothermal treatment of the solutions.

Solutions containing hydroxy-SiAl (HSA) oligocations were prepared by two procedures: (1) treatment of a mixture of orthosilicic acid and AlCl3 with aqueous NaOH, followed by aging of the product; and (2) preliminary preparation and aging of hydroxy-Al13 oligocations followed by reaction of the latter with orthosilicic acid. Ion exchange of Na,Ca-montmorillonite with HSA oligocations yielded pillared, cross-linked montmorillonites (designated as HSA-CLM) showing a maximum d(001) value of 19.5 Å for air-dried samples, and maximum surface areas of ~500 m2/g after outgassing at 250°C/10−3 torr. Corresponding ion exchange of Li-fluorhectorite yielded HSA fluorhectorites (HSA-CLFH) showing a maximum d(001) value of 19.0 Å and a surface area of 355 m2/g. Calculated structural formulae for the HSA-CLM and HSA-CLFH products, based on elemental analysis, showed a gradual increase in the Si/Al ratio in the intercalated HSA oligocations with increasing Si/Al ratio in the pillaring solution. Optimum d(001) values and surface areas of HSA-CLM and HSA-CLFH products were obtained using method 2 and applying a ratio of 1.6–2.5 mmole (Si)Al/g smectite.

The thermal stabilities of HSA-CLM and HSA-CLFH products were determined by heat treatment between 250° and 700°C and subsequent measurement of the d(001) values and surface areas. HSA-CLFH products showed the unusual behavior of increase of d(001) with increase in temperature from 400° to 500°C, and essential constancy of d(001) from 500° to 600°C. The HSA-CLM products showed a gradual decrease in surface area, whereas the HSA-CLFH products prepared with a Si/Al ratio of 1.04–2.18 in the pillaring solution showed constant surface areas with increasing temperature from 250° to 600°C. HSA-CLM and HSA-CLFH show sharply higher acidities compared with those of reference Al-CLM and Al-CLFH samples obtained by pillaring with hydroxy-Al13 oligocations. This increased acidity is probably due to the presence of acidic, surface silanol groups in the HSA oligocations.

Quasi-spherical particles (7-µm mean diameter) were prepared from cross-linked hydroxy-Al-montmorillonite (basal spacing =15.3 and 18.6 Å) by spray-drying. These particles (SP-CLM) were used as a packing material for columns in high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Aromatic phosphate esters, chlorosubstituted phenyl-ureas, monosubstituted benzenes, and the o-, m-, and p-isomers of disubstituted benzenes were separated on the columns, using isopropanol and hexane. Alkyl and alkoxy groups in the solute molecules sterically hindered the interaction of these molecules with the solid phase. The retention of the isomers of disubstituted benzenes that possess one electronegative (or dipolar) and one nonpolar substituent increased in the order: o- < m- < p-. In contrast, for all investigated disubstituted benzenes containing two electronegative (or dipolar) substituents, the o-isomer was retained on the 18.6-Å SP-CLM more strongly than the m- and p-isomers. The chromatographic data suggest that the strength of the interaction of phenolic groups with the solid phase increased with the acidity of these groups. The o-isomers of phenols that contained an additional electronegative (or dipolar) substituent displayed an exceptionally strong adsorption. The capacity of the o-isomers of disubstituted benzenes containing two electronegative (or dipolar) substituents to form chelates with Al probably was responsible for the strong retention of such o-isomers compared with the retention of the corresponding m- and p-isomers.

Cross-linked hydroxy-Al-montmorillonite acted as a strong and selective adsorbent for many families of organic compounds. It was used successfully as the solid phase in HPLC separations with eluents ranging from nonpolar (e.g., hexane) to highly polar (e.g., water).