Intercalation of poly(ethylene-oxides) in montmorillonite: Tailor-made nanocontainers for drug delivery systems

The present research investigated the intercalation of three different polymers, namely polyethylene-glycol (PEG) 1500 and 4000, and BRIJ78 into STx-1 montmorillonite. Samples of modified montmorillonite were prepared starting from different initial concentrations in solution (C0) ranging from 20 to 180 mM. The basal spacing of the modified clay minerals was related to the amounts of polymer intercalated, estimated by COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) analysis of the residual amounts in solution. The correlation between the basal spacings of the modified montmorillonites and the amounts of polymers intercalated allowed properly modulating the microstructural characteristics of organo-clay minerals prepared with polymers.

Research Highlights
► Quantification of intercalated PEOs and BRIJ78 in montmorillonite by COD.
► Use of monomeric units to compare intercalation of PEOs with different molar mass.
► Correlation between d001 and intercalated PEOs.
► A priori” modulation of the interlayer-space size.