Structural model calculation of antimicrobial and antifungal agents derived from clay minerals

The silver chelate of 2-(4-thiazolyl)benzimidazole was exchanged for the interlayer cation of Li-taeniolite and Na-montmorillonite. The structure of the resulting films was derived from the (00l) relative intensities observed by X-ray diffraction. Four arrangements of the chelate between the silicate layers were considered, and the projected area of the chelate for each orientation was calculated. In Li-taeniolite the projected area available for one positive charge was too small to allow full exchange of the interlayer lithium cations by the silver chelate. On the other hand, the sodium ions in montmorillonite could readily exchange with the bulky silver chelate. Structural model calculation on the resulting clay film indicated that the silver chelate was oriented vertically between the layers of montmorillonite with its extremities at the center of linked the ditrigonal cavities. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.