Structure and mobility of rare earth ions in interlayer space of montmorillonite: a molecular dynamics study.

Ion adsorption-type deposits (IADs) are the dominant sources of rare earth elements (REEs), in which REEs are mainly enriched in clay minerals. However, the adsorption mechanism of REEs in the interlayer region of clay minerals is still poorly understood. In this study, by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we explored the interlayer structures and dynamics of REEs-intercalated montmorillonite.