Preparation of a nanocomposite consisting of a siloxane network and perovskite-related nanosheets via a sol–gel process

Abstract: A nanocomposite possessing perovskite-related nanosheets dispersed in a siloxane network was prepared by cohydrolysis of the n-decoxy derivative of an ion-exchangeable layered perovskite, HCa2Nb3O10·xH2O (HCaNb), and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) via a sol–gel process involving exfoliation. In the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the product after drying for 1d, the (00 l) reflections disappeared. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the product after drying for 1d showed dark lines with a thickness of 1.5nm, which was consistent with the thickness of an individual nanosheet, indicating exfoliation of HCaNb. In the XRD patterns of the reaction products of the n-decoxy derivative of HCaNb and TMOS before drying and after drying for 60min, (00 l) reflections were detected. After drying for 80min, the intensity of the (00 l) reflections decreased. The intensity decreased with an increase in the drying time, indicating that the exfoliation of HCaNb occurred during the drying process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]