Evidence for Decavanadate Clusters in the Lamellar Surfactant Ion Phase

Single-crystal X-ray analysis shows the lamellar phase of the vanadium oxide surfactant contains discrete decavanadate clusters and not a continuous vanadium oxide sheet. The clusters are hydrogen bonded together through water molecules forming layers. Between these layers long-chain surfactant chains of dodecyltrimethylammonium lay in parallel with their headgroups stacked in opposite directions. Water and small alcohols can be reversibly inserted into this structure expanding the interlayer spacing.