Control over morphology of magnesium-aluminum hydrosilicate nanoscrolls

It is shown that the morphology of nanoparticles based on variable-composition compounds (Mg,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4 can be controlled by varying the content of aluminum, xAl. Nanoparticles with both tubular (xAl = 0 mol %) and plate-like (xAl = 5 mol %) morphologies were obtained by synthesis of nanoparticles under hydrothermal conditions at 350°C and 30 MPa in an aqueous solution of 0.5 M NaOH. A calculation analysis of the existence conditions of the tubular and plate-like forms of (Mg,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4 compounds was made. The tubular morphology can be potentially obtained in a wider range of xAl values than that observed in the experiment.