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Minerals
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Advances in Kaolinite Group Clay Minerals and Their Applications
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Advances in Kaolinite Group Clay Minerals and Their Applications

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 2870

Editors

Dr. Eleni Gianni

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Guest Editor
Department of Environment, Ionian University, Zakynthos, Greece
Interests: mineralogical characterization; clay, clay mineral, and other natural material used in cosmetics, pharmaceutical, energy, and environmental applications; nanocomposites’ synthesis and characterization; molecular simulations (quantum and classical) of clay minerals interacted with organic or inorganic materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Daniel Moreno-Rodriguez

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome. Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: nanoporous materials; metal-organic frameworks; clay science; computational chemistry
Dr. Martina Maria Calvino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics and Chemistry “Emilio Segrè”, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: halloysite nanotubes; geopolymeric materials; nanoclays; nanocomposites and nanotechnology; thermal analysis and calorimetry characterizations; biopolymers
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Papoulis

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Guest Editor
Section of Earth Materials, Department of Geology, University of Patras, 265 04 Patras, Greece
Interests: mineralogical characterization; clay mineral deposits genesis; clay, clay minerals, and other natural material applications; nanocomposites’ synthesis and characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The kaolinite group is one of the most important groups of clay minerals due to their small particle size, special characteristics, and the variety of applications of these minerals. The minerals of the kaolinite group are structured by one tetrahedral sheet connected with one octahedral sheet (1:1 layer structure) with empirical formula Al2Si2O5(OH)4. The clay minerals that belong to this group are kaolinite, dickite, and nacrite, which have been characterized as polytypes, and halloysite which is characterized as the hydrated polymorph of kaolinite. Halloysite and kaolinite are the common clay minerals of this group and can be found on high-purity deposits. Because of their abundant nature and special features, halloysite and kaolinite, whether in their pure form or modified, can be used in various applications due to their potential interactions with a wide range of molecules. Thus, both minerals have the potential to be used in a wide variety of applications such as pharmaceutical applications mainly as drug carriers, in materials science as the base for the preparation of nanocomposites, and in soil and water decontamination, i.e., as sorbent materials for a variety of contaminants, as well as in other non-environmental uses.

This Special Issue seeks to investigate current research advancements in kaolinite-group clay minerals with a focus on their final applicability in various fields, proved by experimental or/and theoretical studies.

The topics covered by this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Novel processes for kaolinite-group mineral-based nanocomposites preparation.
  • Pure kaolinite-group minerals or kaolinite-group mineral-based nanocomposites for targeted drug delivery.
  • Kaolinite-group mineral-based nanocomposites for photocatalytic applications.
  • Kaolinite-group mineral-based nanocomposites for cosmetics.
  • Pure or modified kaolinite-group minerals for water and soil decontamination.
  • Molecular simulations of kaolinite-group mineral-based complexes.
  • Kaolinite-group minerals for environmental nanotechnologies.

We encourage the submission of research articles, reviews, case studies, commentaries, and technical notes that will contribute to advancing knowledge in the field of applied mineralogy, with a particular focus on advances in kaolinite-group clay minerals and their applications. By disseminating cutting-edge research findings and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, our goal is to enhance the collective knowledge base and support the applications of kaolinite-group minerals on a real scale in several sectors.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Eleni Gianni
Dr. Daniel Moreno-Rodriguez
Dr. Martina Maria Calvino
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Papoulis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • kaolinite-group mineral-based nanocomposites
  • halloysite nanotubes
  • kaolinite
  • pharmaceutical applications
  • environmental applications
  • molecular simulations

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 5004 KB  
Article
Nb-Kaolinite and Nb-TiO2-Kaolinite for Emerging Organic Pollutant Removal
by Larissa F. Bonfim, Lorrana V. Barbosa, Yan P. Vedovato, Suelen D. de Souza, Hugo F. M. dos Santos, Vinicius F. Lima, Marcus V. do Prado, Eduardo J. Nassar, Katia J. Ciuffi, Lucas A. Rocha, Liziane Marçal and Emerson H. de Faria
Minerals 2025, 15(12), 1322; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121322 - 17 Dec 2025
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Abstract
This study presents the synthesis and characterization of novel kaolinite niobium and kaolinite titanium niobium nanocomposites and their application as heterogeneous photocatalysts. Utilizing a hydrolytic sol–gel route, we combined kaolinite with isopropyl alcohol, acetic acid, titanium (IV) isopropoxide, and ammonium niobium oxalate, followed [...] Read more.
This study presents the synthesis and characterization of novel kaolinite niobium and kaolinite titanium niobium nanocomposites and their application as heterogeneous photocatalysts. Utilizing a hydrolytic sol–gel route, we combined kaolinite with isopropyl alcohol, acetic acid, titanium (IV) isopropoxide, and ammonium niobium oxalate, followed by heat treatment at 400, 700, and 1000 °C. X-ray diffraction confirmed the retention of kaolinite’s characteristic reflections, with basal spacings indicating the presence of semiconductors on the external surfaces and edges. Heating treatment not allowing the crystallization of anatase until 1000 °C reveals that Nb5+ could inhibit the transition to titanium crystalline phases (anatase and rutile). The bandgap energies decreased with clay mineral support, averaging 2.50 eV, and absorbing up to 650 nm. The model reaction of terephthalic acid hydroxylation accomplished by photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrated that KaolTiNb400 presented a higher rate of *OH production, achieving 591 mmol L−1 min−1 compared to pure KaolNb400 173 mmol L−1 min−1. Photodegradation studies revealed significant photocatalytic activity, with the KaolTiNb400 nanocomposite achieving the highest efficiency, demonstrating 90% removal of methylene blue (combining adsorption and degradation) after 24 h of UV light irradiation. These materials also exhibited promising results for the degradation of the antibiotics Triaxon® (40%) and Loratadine (8%), highlighting their potential for organic pollutants’ removal. In both cases the presence of byproducts is detected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Kaolinite Group Clay Minerals and Their Applications)
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Review

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27 pages, 22969 KB  
Review
Kaolinite-Group Minerals in Cultural Heritage Conservation: From Traditional Poultices to Nanocomposite Consolidants (A Critical Integrative Review)
by Panagiota Manti and Eleni Gianni
Minerals 2026, 16(7), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070707 - 6 Jul 2026
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Abstract
Kaolinite-group minerals and kaolin rock occupy a distinct position in cultural heritage conservation. They occur both as original constituent materials and as components of conservation treatments. This review critically synthesizes the scattered literature on their use in the conservation of cultural heritage objects. [...] Read more.
Kaolinite-group minerals and kaolin rock occupy a distinct position in cultural heritage conservation. They occur both as original constituent materials and as components of conservation treatments. This review critically synthesizes the scattered literature on their use in the conservation of cultural heritage objects. It highlights the structure–property–performance relationships, including composition, particle morphology, pore structure, water retention, sorption properties, moisture transport, and residue formation on heritage substrates. Kaolin-based poultices are useful for desalination and cleaning where pore-size distribution, drying conditions, and application parameters can be controlled. Kaolinite and metakaolinite are mainly used in consolidation, the first acting as mineral filler/scaffold and the second as a reactive pozzolanic component, while halloysite is a potential nanocontainer for controlled release. This review highlights that kaolinite-group minerals should not be treated as generic clays, inert fillers, or automatically sustainable additives and particular attention should be given to issues of reversibility, formulation design, performance testing, long-term durability, and residue assessment, as well as to emerging data on toxicity and environmental impact. Future research should prioritize comparative testing, long-term field monitoring, and predictive modelling, alongside clearer assessment of health, environmental and sustainability impacts, to support evidence-based, sustainable use of kaolinite-group minerals in cultural heritage conservation practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Kaolinite Group Clay Minerals and Their Applications)
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