Novel talc-like nickel phyllosilicates functionalized with ethanolamine and diethanolamine

Ethanolamine (E) and diethanolamine (D) were incorporated into 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (G) to give two new silylating agents. These agents were used to prepare in sol–gel process talc-like compounds, corresponding to nickel phyllosilicates (Ph), called PhGE and PhGD. Both structures have been confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, solid state NMR for silicon and carbon nuclei, thermogravimetry, X-ray powder diffraction and SEM. The 13C NMR results showed organic moieties covalently bound on the inorganic framework, while 29Si NMR revealed the silicon only occupied T positions. The materials presented a well-organized trioctahedral 2:1 structure, indicated by the powder X-ray patterns by the (060) reflection, with basal spacings of 1015 and 1147 pm. Based on the nitrogen amount, 3.08 ± 0.42 and 2.25 ± 0.03 mmol g− 1 of silylating agent were grafted onto the inorganic framework. Both phyllosilicates uptake barium ions from aqueous solution to give maximum adsorption of 0.54 ± 0.05 and 0.81 ± 0.01 mmol g− 1.