Immobilization of metallophthalocyanines on hybrid materials and in-situ synthesis of pseudo-tubular structures from an aminofunctionalized kaolinite

•Cobalt(II)tetracarboxyphthalocyanine was efficiently immobilized on an aminofunctionalized kaolinite.•'The chemical and thermal stability of the metallophthalocyanine was increased.•The XRD and TEM analysis confirms the structural change in the functionalized kaolinite.•Pseudo-tubular kaolinite was obtained.

The results from a study of the immobilization of cobalt(II) tetracarboxyphthalocyanine on a kaolinite functionalized with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane are presented. The resulting materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses, infrared and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The detection of some bands typical of cobalt(II) tetracarboxyphthalocyanine by infrared spectroscopy confirmed immobilization of the complex on the amino-functionalized kaolinite and showed that there were no alterations in the interlayer hydroxyl groups of kaolinite, and also evidenced that immobilization occurred via the amine. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the immobilization process prompted a structural change in the functionalized kaolinite, leading to the formation of a non-layered material. Solid state UV–Vis spectroscopy attested to the immobilization of the cobalt(II) tetracarboxyphthalocyanine on the amino-functionalized kaolinite, as verified from the appearance/displacement of some bands characteristic of the metal complex.

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