Sol-gel preparation of nanosheet-dispersed hybrids using n-alkoxy derivatives of ion-exchangeable layered perovskites as nanobuilding blocks

Two different kinds of composites possessing perovskite-related nanosheets were prepared via sol-gel process using n-alkoxy derivatives of ion-exchangeable layered perovskites. One kind of the hybrids was prepared via the cohydrolysis of the n-decoxy derivative of an ion-exchangeable layered perovskite, HLaNb ₂O₇·xH₂O or HCa₂Nb ₃O₁₀·xH₂O, tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and silanol terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The other kind of hybrid was prepared via cohydrolysis of n-decoxy derivatives of HCaNb and TMOS. The XRD pattern and TEM image of both composites showed the exfoliation of layered perovskites and the nanosheets was dispersed in siloxane networks. These results suggest that the n-alkoxy derivatives of ion-exchangeable layered perovskites can be utilized as nanobuilding blocks for the preparation of nanosheet-dispersed composites via sol-gel process.