Preparation and spectroscopic characterisation of intercalation products of clay and of clay–polypropylene composites with rhodamine B Original Research Article

Intercalation products of Cloisite commercial clay and of Cloisite/polypropylene nanocomposite materials with Rhodamine B dye have been prepared and characterized for chemical composition, X-ray diffraction patterns, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. They were also investigated by absorption and emission spectroscopies to have information on the dispersion of Cloisite into the polymer. Furthermore, the space-resolved fluorescence properties of powders and solid nanocomposites were investigated by a confocal scanning microscope coupled to a fluorimeter to study the local arrangement of the dye in the solid samples. In particular, the fluorescence images gave information on the three-dimensional morphology and on the distribution of the inorganic matrix within the composite materials; the fluorescence spectra recorded from different positions on the samples were used to characterise the dye located in different sites. These results are interpreted in terms of arrangement and distribution of the dye molecules between the organic and inorganic matrices and nano-dispersion of Cloisite in the polymer.