Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Saponites Obtained by Intercalation of Titano-Silsesquioxane

The synthesis and characterization of two bifunctional composite materials based on synthetic saponite clays is here presented. These materials were prepared by intercalation of a Ti-containing aminopropylisobutylPOSS (Ti-NH2POSS) in synthetic saponite samples containing interlayer sodium (Na-SAP) and protons (H-SAP). Hybrid inorganic/organic composite materials, Ti-NHM-1 and Ti-NHM-2, were obtained upon ion exchange. Structural, spectroscopic and thermal properties of both hybrid materials were investigated in detail along with their catalytic activity in cyclohexene oxidation.