Synthesis and characterization of Mg-Al-layered double hydroxides intercalated with cubane-1,4-dicarboxylate anions

In the present work, Mg2Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) intercalated with cubane-1,4-dicarboxylate anions was prepared from the reaction of solutions of Mg(ii) and Al(iii) nitrate salts with an alkaline solution of cubane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid by using the coprecipitation method. The successful preparation of a nanohybrid of cubane-1,4-dicarboxylate(cubane-dc) anions with LDH was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The increase in the basal spacing of LDHs from 8.67 Å to 13.40 Å shows that cubane-dc anions were successfully incorporated into the interlayer space. Thermogravimetric analyses confirm that the thermal stability of the intercalated cubane-dc anions is greater than that of the pure form before intercalation because of host-guest interactions involving hydrogen bonds. The interlayer structure, hydrogen bonding, and subsequent distension of LDH compounds containing cubane-dc anions were shown by molecular simulation. The RDF (radial distribution function), mean square displacement (MSD), and self-diffusion coefficient were calculated using the trajectory files on the basis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the results indicated that the cubane-dc anions were more stable when intercalated into the LDH layers. A good agreement was obtained between calculated and measured X-ray diffraction patterns and between experimental and calculated basal spacings.