In situ generation of layered single- or double-hydroxide inorganic platelets (LSH and LDH) assisted by bola amphiphiles.

A novel preparation route for layered hydroxide based hybrid phases has been investigated combining the polyol route with the in situ generation of inorganic platelets, in the presence of an amphiphilic polymer as well as bola-amphiphiles. The polyol route consists of hydrolysis in an alcoholic medium containing acetate metal cations as precursor(s), to yield an LDH ZnAl cation composition or LSH-Zn (layered single hydroxide). A bola amphiphile is described as hydrophobic polymer segment-telechelic-chains terminated by two anionic hydrophilic end groups, using volatile ammonium cations as counter ions.

Self-assembly and characterization of layered double hydroxide/DNA hybrids.

The purpose of this study was to control the fabrication of new labile supramolecular assemblies by formulating associations of DNA molecules with inorganic layered double hydroxides (LDHs). The results show that LDH/DNA hybrids synthesized by a coprecipitation route involving the in situ formation of LDHs around DNA molecules acting as templates were characterized by a lamellar organization, with DNA molecules sandwiched between hydroxide layers, exhibiting a regular spacing of 1.96 nm.

Anti-KSbF6 structure of CaTbF6 and CdTbF6: a confirmation of the singular crystal chemistry of Tb4+ in fluorides.

The crystal structures of two new tetravalent terbium fluorides, CaTbF6 and CdTbF6, have been determined from X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data. The title compounds exhibit an anti-KSbF6 structure, the three-dimensional framework of which is built of [TbF6]2- chains of edge-sharing dodecahedra further linked, by sharing corners, to isolated [MF6]4- octahedra (M=Ca, Cd). The mechanism of the anionic sublattice rearrangement when going from KSbF6 to CaTbF6 is described and related to a simple cubic fluoride-ion packing.