Intercalation of methylene blue into layered phosphates in the presence of butylamine and function of alkylamine in the intercalation reaction

The intercalation of methylene blue (MB) into layered phosphates was examined in the presence of butylamine (BA) in order to clarify the mechanism of this reaction and the function of alkylamine, such as BA in the intercalation reaction. MB was not directly intercalated into layered phosphates, but could be intercalated in the presence of BA. The intercalation of MB was strongly influenced by the amount of BA used; that is, it was accelerated by the presence of BA, but inhibited by the presence of too much BA. Moreover, in the procedure which BA was previously intercalated into layered phosphates, it was found that the intercalation of MB can be achieved by removing BA from the interlayer region when BA is formed a monolayer in the phase, and depends on the orientation of BA in the interlayer region when BA forms a bilayer.