Flexibility of nanolayers and stacks: implications in the nanostructuration of clays.

The basic structural units of adsorbing microporous materials such as clays and cementitious materials are flexible nanolayers. The flexibility of these layers is reported to play a crucial role in the structuration of these materials, potentially affecting therefore the thermo-mechanical behavior of such materials. Adsorbed fluids are structured in a discrete number of layers within the space between the nanolayers in these materials.