Kaolinite, Saponite and Other Layered Natural and Synthetic Clay Minerals

Dear Colleagues,

The clay minerals deposits around the world are extremely large. Among the various types of clays, kaolin is the clay mined in the largest amounts. However, the industrial applications of this type of clay are limited to traditional applications in ceramics, tiles, and paper coating. Kaolinite presents many other interesting possibilities, as is the goal to demonstrate it in this Special Issue, showing considerable potential for use in non‐traditional and high value‐added applications.

Recently, different experimental techniques have been applied to prepare various clay minerals, especially from the smectite type group. This type of material is most commonly used as catalyst supports and adsorbents. Saponite-type clays are receiving attention due to their potential use as catalysts or catalysts supports. The specific characteristics of each clay are directly related to their composition and physical and chemical properties, which promote their uses in many non-traditional applications such as adsorbents, sensors, drug delivery systems, catalysts, and others.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions focusing on modified natural and synthetic clay minerals and their applications in different non-conventional fields such as adsorbents, catalysts and photocatalysts, sensors, hybrid, and biohybrid materials, bionanocomposites, polymer–clay composites and nanocomposites, and drug delivery systems.

Prof. Dr. Emerson H. De Faria
Guest Editor

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