Stable mesoporous nanocomposites of iminocyclohexanones coordinated with Ca montmorillonite

Organomontmorillonite (organo-MMT) nanocomposites are widely used in environmental, food, and pharmaceutical applications. However, their weak adsorption and ionic exchange forces during synthesis can make them unstable and unreliable. In this study, we present a novel synthesis of stable mesoporous iminocyclohexanone-Ca-MMT nanocomposites through a green, rapid, one-pot reaction. The synthesis reaction between Ca-MMT clay suspended in water and a dioxane solution of 1,3-cyclohexanedione and 4-aminophenol at 2 temperatures (60 °C and 110 °C) completed in a short reaction time. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance UV-visible spectroscopy, and advanced software tools. Surface area measurements were performed via multipoint Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. The stability of these nanocomposites come from the formation of coordination bonds between the iminocyclohexanone moiety and Al, Mg, and Si minerals in the octahedral and tetrahedral layers of Ca-MMT. This innovative approach addresses the temporal instability issues of conventional organoclay nanocomposites, offering promising potential for broader industrial and environmental applications.