The Photochemistry and Stereochemical Control of Clay-Intercalated Compounds

This article surveys investigations on stereospecific organic photoreactions utilizing well-organized aggregated structures of molecules formed in the interlayer spaces of inorganic layered host compounds. In the beginning sections, the chemical compositions and structural features of the layered hosts and their unique adsorption properties are described, as well as the aggregated structures of the guest molecules. The later sections describe various organic photoreactions, including [2+2] photocycloadditions, photopolymerization and the photopinacolization of aromatic olefins and/or aromatic ketones, while the stereochemistry of the photoreactions is discussed in relation to the aggregated structures of the guest molecules.