Critical Conformational Change of Poly(oxypropylene)diamines in Layered Aluminosilicate Confinement

The intercalation of aluminosilicate clays proceeds via a critical conformation change. Ion exchange of the poly(oxypropylene)diamine salts allows widening of the clay layers from 12 Å to 20 Å and then a sharp increase to 58 Å. The data indicate a critical conformation change of the intercalated amines, thus providing a new way for manipulating nanomaterials and control of polymer conformations in layered silicate confinement. Schematic illustration of POP‐amine self‐assembly in silicate confinements.