Optical and Electrochemical Properties of Titania Pillared Clays

The silicate layers of clay were pillared with TiO(2) sol particles. The sol particles were stabilized between the layers against aggregation on heating up to 500 degrees C, and exhibited a wide optical absorption edge tailing to shorter wavelengths compared with bulk anatase-type TiO(2). This indicates the existence of small TiO(2) sol particles with size quantization effects. The silicate layer used as host matrix was almost transparent in UV-visible region. The TiO(2) sol particles between the silicate layers were electrochemically lithiated, and the pillared clay was used as cathode for a rechargeable lithium cell. Transmission electron micrograph of the section perpendicular to the basal planes showed that the pillared clays have a wide distribution in the interlayer spacing. This wide distribution in interlayer spacings apparently leads to the poor crystallinity and the wide observed pore size distribution of the pillared clays.