Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Detection of smectites in ppm and sub-ppm concentrations using dye molecule sensors

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Physics and Chemistry of Minerals Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Methylene blue and rhodamine 6G were used as molecular sensors for the spectrophotometric titrations of the aqueous colloids of clay minerals (montmorillonite, illite and kaolinite). The dyes adsorbed on colloid particles form molecular aggregates, which exhibit spectral properties significantly different from those of dye solutions. Spectrophotometric titrations provide the most sensitive detection of smectites in aqueous colloids (sub-ppm concentrations); and the sensitivity further increases using second derivative spectroscopy. The endpoint of spectrophotometric titrations can be used for the determination of exchange capacity of the mineral in colloids and in this way to estimate its amount. The method is selective only to expandable clays, which was proven by experiments with kaolinite and illite. Spectrophotometric titrations have promising future in the analysis of clays and can be applied in many fields of geology, mineralogy, chemistry, material sciences or in industry. Its application may expand to the analysis of other nanomaterials built from charged particles and exhibiting metachromasy in the systems with organic dyes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arbeloa FL, Arbeloa TL, Arbeloa IL (1997) Spectroscopy of rhodamine 6G adsorbed on sepiolite aqueous suspensions. J Colloid Interface Sci 187(1):105–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergmann K, O’Konski CT (1963) A spectroscopic study of methylene blue monomer, dimer, and complexes with montmorillonite. J Phys Chem 67(10):2169–2177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bujdák J (2006) Effect of the layer charge of clay minerals on optical properties of organic dyes. A review. Appl Clay Sci 34(1–4):58–73. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2006.02.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bujdák J, Iyi N (2006) Molecular aggregation of rhodamine dyes in dispersions of layered silicates: influence of dye molecular structure and silicate properties. J Phys Chem B 110(5):2180–2186. doi:10.1021/jp0553378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bujdák J, Komadel P (1997) Interaction of methylene blue with reduced charge montmorillonite. J Phys Chem B 101(44):9065–9068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bujdák J, Iyi N, Fujita T (2002) The aggregation of methylene blue in montmorillonite dispersions. Clay Miner 37(1):121–133. doi:10.1180/0009855023710022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bujdák J, Iyi N, Sasai R (2004) Spectral properties, formation of dye molecular aggregates, and reactions in rhodamine 6G/layered silicate dispersions. J Phys Chem B 108(14):4470–4477. doi:10.1021/jp037607x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Czímerová A, Bujdák J, Dohrmann R (2006) Traditional and novel methods for estimating the layer charge of smectites. Appl Clay Sci 34(1–4):2–13. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2006.02.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Estevez MJT, Arbeloa FL, Arbeloa TL, Arbeloa IL (1993) Absorption and fluorescence properties of rhodamine 6G adsorbed on aqueous suspensions of Wyoming montmorillonite. Langmuir 9(12):3629–3634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grauer Z, Malter AB, Yariv S, Avnir D (1987) Sorption of rhodamine B by montmorillonite and laponite. Colloids Surf 25(1):41–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaboyedoff M, Thelin P (2002) PATISSIER: software to estimate the smectite content and number of consecutive illite layers in mixed-layer illite-smectite using illite crystallinity data. Schweiz Miner Petrogr Mitt 82(2):221–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Janik LJ, Skjemstad JO (1995) Characterization and analysis of soils using midinfrared partial least-squares. 2. Correlations with some laboratory data. Aust J Soil Res 33(4):637–650. doi:10.1071/sr9950637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufhold S, Penner D (2006) Applicability of the SER method for quality control of clays from the German ‘Westerwald’. Appl Clay Sci 32(1–2):53–63. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2005.09.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kugel RW (1993) Metachromasy—the interactions between dyes and polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions. Adv Chem Ser 236:507–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Latterini L, Nocchetti M, Aloisi GG, Costantino U, Elisei F (2007) Organized chromophores in layered inorganic matrices. Inorg Chim Acta 360(3):728–740. doi:10.1016/j.ica.2006.07.048

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li HY, Li QA (2003) Organic dye-layered silicate optical functional nanocomposites. Prog Chem 15(2):135–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Madejová J, Kečkés J, Pálková H, Komadel P (2002) Identification of components in smectite/kaolinite mixtures. Clay Miner 37(2):377–388. doi:10.1180/0009855023720042

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nieto F, Abad I, Azanon JM (2008) Smectite quantification in sediments and soils by thermogravimetric analyses. Appl Clay Sci 38(3–4):288–296. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2007.04.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penner D, Lagaly G (2000) Influence of organic and inorganic salts on the coagulation of montmorillonite dispersions. Clays Clay Miner 48(2):246–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pentrák M, Madejová J, Komadel P (2009) Acid and alkali treatment of kaolins. Clay Miner 44(4):511–523. doi:10.1180/claymin.2009.044.4.511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pentrák M, Madejová J, Komadel P (2010) Effect of chemical composition and swelling on acid dissolution of 2:1 clay minerals. Philos Mag 90(17–18):2387–2397. doi:10.1080/14786430903559433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salleres S, Arbeloa FL, Martinez V, Corcostegui C, Arbeloa IL (2009) Effect of surfactant C12TMA molecules on the self-association of R6G dye in thin films of laponite clay. Mater Chem Phys 116(2–3):550–556. doi:10.1016/j.matchemphys.2009.04.030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoonheydt RA, Heughebaert L (1992) Clay adsorbed dyes—methylene blue on laponite. Clay Miner 27(1):91–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schroth BK, Sposito G (1997) Surface charge properties of kaolinite. Clays Clay Miner 45(1):85–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srodon J (2009) Quantification of illite and smectite and their layer charges in sandstones and shales from shallow burial depth. Clay Miner 44(4):421–434. doi:10.1180/claymin.2009.044.4.421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srodon J, McCarty DK (2008) Surface area and layer charge of smectite from CEC and EGME/H2O-retention measurements. Clays Clay Miner 56(2):155–174. doi:10.1346/ccmn.2008.0560203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šucha V, Czímerová A, Bujdák J (2009) Surface properties of illite-smectite minerals as detected by interaction with rhodamine 6G dye. Clays Clay Miner 57(3):361–370. doi:10.1346/ccmn.2009.0570308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takagi K, Sawaki Y (1993) Photochemical-reactions in organized and semiorganized media. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 28(4):323–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank to Grant Agency VEGA (Project 02/0089/09) for financial support. This publication is the result of the project implementation “Amplification of the Centre of Excellence on Green Chemistry Methods and Processes (CEGreenII)” supported by the Research & Development Operational Program funded by the ERDF.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Marcel Lofaj & Juraj Bujdák

  2. Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 36, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Juraj Bujdák

Authors
  1. Marcel Lofaj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Juraj Bujdák
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juraj Bujdák.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 158 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lofaj, M., Bujdák, J. Detection of smectites in ppm and sub-ppm concentrations using dye molecule sensors. Phys Chem Minerals 39, 227–237 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-011-0478-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-011-0478-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation