Intercalation of tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) into magadiite

Intercalation of the tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex cation into a layered silicate (magadiite; the ideal formula for which is Na₂Si₁₄O₂₉·nH₂O) was investigated. Since the complex cation did not intercalate by a direct ion exchange reaction with the interlayer Na ions in an aqueous medium, dodecyltrimethylammonium exchanged magadiite was used as a precursor. Depending on the loading of the complex cations and the solvents employed for the reactions, two types of tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)-magadiite intercalation compounds formed. One has a basal spacing of ∼2.9 nm due to a large amount of the dodecyltrimethylammonium ions which remained in the interlayer space of magadiite and coexisted with the intercalated tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex cations. The other has a basal spacing of ∼2.0 nm because the intercalated tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex ions form a monolayer in the interlayer space of magadiite.