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Advances in Intercalation Chemistry

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 219

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Center of Materials and Nanotechnologies—CEMNAT, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Studentská 84, 53210 Pardubice, Czech Republic
Interests: transition metal phosphates; layered phosphonates; intercalation; layered double hydroxides

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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo, 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Interests: layered double hydroxides; metal phosphates and phosphonates; hydroxyapatite; intercalation; metal nanoparticles; drug release; catalysts

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intercalation compounds continue to attract considerable attention across a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, including catalysis, photophysical processes, electronics, energy storage, drug delivery, biomaterials, coatings, polymer fillers, and water remediation. Their remarkable versatility arises from the wide variety of layered host materials—such as graphite, transition metal dichalcogenides, layered silicates, smectite clays, layered phosphates, phosphonates, perovskite-type materials, and layered double hydroxides—which can accommodate diverse guest species including bioactive molecules, metal complexes, and metal nanoparticles.

This Special Issue should serve researchers who want to keep up with the latest developments in the field of intercalation chemistry. This Special Issue focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of all types of intercalation compounds. The submissions of review articles written by experts in this field will also be appreciated.

Dr. Klára Melánová
Dr. Morena Nocchetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

  • intercalation
  • layered compound application
  • synthesis
  • clay-based materials
  • layered phosphates
  • layered double hydroxides
  • graphite
  • ion exchange

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 1845 KB  
Article
Fe-Exchanged Natural Bentonites from Kazakhstan as Multifunctional Solids for Decontamination from Hazardous Chemicals: Structure–Reactivity Relationships Under Mild Conditions
by Stefano Econdi, Sholpan Nazarkulova, Stefano Marchesi, Chiara Bisio, Mukhambetkali Burkitbayev and Matteo Guidotti
Molecules 2026, 31(10), 1771; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31101771 - 21 May 2026
Abstract
Iron-exchanged bentonites derived from a natural montmorillonite-rich clay (Taganskoe deposit, Kazakhstan) were prepared through a simple aqueous ion-exchange route using Fe(II) or Fe(III) inorganic salt precursors, yielding final Fe contents of ca. 5–7 wt.%, while preserving the smectite layered framework. A mild thermal [...] Read more.
Iron-exchanged bentonites derived from a natural montmorillonite-rich clay (Taganskoe deposit, Kazakhstan) were prepared through a simple aqueous ion-exchange route using Fe(II) or Fe(III) inorganic salt precursors, yielding final Fe contents of ca. 5–7 wt.%, while preserving the smectite layered framework. A mild thermal treatment under air was applied to tune iron coordination without triggering major structural collapse. The resulting materials were characterized by ED-XRF, PXRD, FE-SEM/EDX, DLS/ζ-potential and DR UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy, revealing predominantly exchanged Fe species with a limited fraction of surface iron-oxide clusters, whose contribution increases after activation. Structure–reactivity relationships were probed under mild conditions in liquid-phase ethyl acetate using dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (2-CEES) as organophosphorus and organosulfur hazardous chemicals and chemical warfare agent simulants, respectively. Fe(III)-bentonite enabled very fast DMMP removal (ca. 93% within 0.5 h) with a remarkable improved performance with respect to Fe(II)-bentonite and the pristine mineral clay. For 2-CEES, the presence of H2O2 markedly enhanced oxidation on Fe-containing clays, reaching quantitative abatement within 24 h (up to >90%), with strong retention of oxidized sulfur products by the clay matrix. These results highlight Fe-exchanged natural bentonites as robust, cheap and multifunctional adsorption/catalytic solids for decontamination and water-treatment applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Intercalation Chemistry)
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