Title: Photoactive hybrid nanomaterials derived from layered minerals
Duration: 2015-2018
Principal Investigator: Jakub Matusik
Key Investigators: Anna Koteja, Marek Szczerba
Funding agency: National Science Centre (Poland)
Project ID: Opus 7
The research performed in the project allowed to obtain materials having photoactive properties using selected natural and synthetic minerals. The materials show structural changes at an atomic level when exposed to ultraviolet and visible radiation. As a result they could find application as nanosensors. The research is innovative due to the type of obtained structures and the nanomaterials properties.
The synthesized materials are based mostly on natural minerals including from Polish deposits: kaolinite from Maria III deposit. In particular during the realization of the project, chemical procedures were designed and tested which enabled the modification of selected layered minerals differing in crystal structure. As a result this allowed to introduce molecules showing photoactive properties into their structures. For the first time the structural changes of the mineral-based materials were observed and described under ultraviolet and visible light in different experimental conditions. For the first time characterization of the mineral materials was carried out using molecular modelling. This provided knowledge on the mechanisms responsible for the structural changes of the materials during exposure to the applied radiation.
The obtained and published knowledge on the layered minerals modification possibilities will result in the development and synthesis of mineral-based hybrids having specific photoactive properties. The acquired knowledge will also help for more conscious alteration of mineral structures in order to obtain materials with specific, planned in advance properties.
Most important publications:
- Koteja, A., Szczerba, M., Matusik, J. (2017) Smectites intercalated with azobenzene and aminoazobenzene:Structure changes at nanoscale induced by UV light. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 111,294–303.
- Koteja, A., Matusik, J. (2017) UV triggered basal spacing shifts in smectite intercalates. W: ICC 2017: XVI International Clay Conference, ISBN: 978-88-7522-089-1. s. 426.
- Matusik, J., Koteja, A., Łepko, A. (2017) The synthesis approach for the intercalation of photoactive molecules into kaolinite and layered zirconium phosphate. The 54th Clay Minerals Society conference,13-14.
- Koteja, A., Góra, K., Matusik, J. (2017) Monitoring and understanding the UV induced structural changes for functionalized zmectites and kanemite. The 54th Clay Minerals Society conference, 79–80.
- Matusik, J., Koteja, A. (2016) Kaolinite co-intercalated with benzylalkylammonium salts and azobenzene: structural features and photoswitching effect. 53rd Clay Minerals Society conference.
- Koteja, A., Szczerba, M., Matusik, J. (2016) Molecular dynamics simulations of azobenzene intercalates in smectites. 8th Mid-European Clay Conference.
Koteja, A., Matusik, J. (2016) Structural differences of kaolinite and montmorillonite co-intercalated with ammonium salts and azobenzene. 8th Mid-European Clay Conference. - Koteja, A., Matusik, J. (2015) Charakterystyka strukturalna minerałów z grupy smektytu interkalowanych bromkiem heksadecylotrimetyloamoniowym – Structural characterization of smectite group minerals intercalated with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide. W: Sorbenty mineralne 2015 [monografia] / red. nauk. Tomasz Bajda, Elżbieta Hycnar. ISBN: 978-83-7464-793-9, s. 145–155.
- Matusik, J., Koteja, A. (2015) Organo-kaolinite: 50 Å intercalation compound with azobenzene. W: EUROCLAY 2015, 23.