Covalent grafting of phenylphosphonate groups onto layered silica derived from in situ-leached chrysotile fibers

The reaction of natural chrysotile fibers with phenylphosphonic acid leads to a new grafted material. The layered material, with an interplanar basal distance of 15.2 Å, was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The experimental data are consistent with the grafting of phenylphosphonate groups to the surface of the layered silica sheets, obtained by the in situ acidic leaching of brucite sheets, from chrysotile.