Solid-state NMR study of geopolymer prepared by sol–gel chemistry

Geopolymers are a new class of materials formed by the condensation of aluminosilicates and silicates obtained from natural minerals or industrial wastes. In this work, the sol–gel method is used to synthesize precursor materials for the preparation of geopolymers. The geopolymer samples prepared by our synthetic route have been characterized by a series of physical techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and multinuclear solid-state NMR. The results are very similar to those obtained for the geopolymers prepared from natural kaolinite. We believe that our synthetic approach can offer a good opportunity for the medical applications of geopolymer.