Porous zirconium complex—layered titanate nanohybrids with gas adsorption and photocatalytic activity

Porous zirconium complex-layered titanate nanohybrids were synthesized by reassembling reaction between negative-charged layered titanate nanosheets and positive-charged zirconium complex. According to powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, titanate monolayers were interstratified with zirconium species with the repeating unit of ~ 1.2 nm. X-ray absorption spectroscopy at Zr K-edge and Ti K-edge clearly demonstrated that mononuclear zirconium complex was intercalated into lepidocrocite-structured titanate layers. From N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherm measurement, the hybridization reaction produced highly porous material with the expanded surface area of ~ 176 m 2g − 1 . The zirconium complex-layered titanate nanohybrids showed functionalities not only for adsorption of CO 2 gas but also for photodegradation of organic molecules. This finding underscored that the reassembling of layered metal oxide with zirconium ions provides powerful ways to synthesize highly porous materials applicable for gas adsorbents and photocatalysts.