While biological and chemical methods for the reduction of toxic perchlorate ions to chloride have been reported, there is still a need for more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly methods that work in situ. Our group has developed a series of anion exchanging clays by intercalating positively charged polymers, which over compensate the charge of the sheets, into the interlayer galleries. These anion exchangers can intercalate negatively charged nanoparticles, as well as low charge density ions such as pertechnetate and perchlorate. Adsorption isotherms show that the modified clays are effective in binding perchlorate present in sub-millimolar concentration.  We are now combining these anion exchanging polymer-intercalated clays with a recently reported perchlorate reduction catalyst in order to evaluate whether an effective perchlorate reduction catalyst can be prepared. Palladium nanoparticles and perrhenate anions are intercalated into an anion exchanging polymer-intercalated clay to produce a nanocomposite. The goal is to prepare catalysts that concentrate perchlorate ions in the interlayer gallery and then reduce them to chloride ions.

Layer charge inverted clays as hosts for catalytic particles

244th National Meeting (2012)

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