Infrared and X‐ray Study of Parathion‐Montmorillonite Sorption Complexes

Infrared spectra indicate that parathion sorbed by montmorillonite coordinates through water molecules to the metallic cations in the interlayer space of the clay. By dehydrating the clay‐parathion complexes, parathion becomes directly coordinated with the monovalent cations. The main interaction is through the oxygen atoms of the nitrogroup, although interactions through the P=S group were also observed, especially for complexes saturated with polyvalent cations.