This proposal is aimed at the preparation of new classes of porous materials based on the pillaring of layered compounds. High temperature solid-state reaction chemistry, or the use of organic molecules containing hydrophillic functional groups to exfoliate the layers, are two techniques to be developed to control the lateral spacing of the pillars. Electron and x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and surface area and pore size measurements will be used to characterize these compounds for possible use as catalysts, sensors, ion exchangers and non-linear optical materials.
