Palygorskite: A Review on Chemical Structure, Properties and Applications

Author(s)
Pedro H.B. Lima
Graduate Program in Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Center for Nature Sciences, Minister Petrônio Portella University Campus, Ininga, 64049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil.

Alexandre A. De Souza
Graduate Program in Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Center for Nature Sciences, Minister Petrônio Portella University Campus, Ininga, 64049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil.

Sidney G. de Lima
Graduate Program in Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Center for Nature Sciences, Minister Petrônio Portella University Campus, Ininga, 64049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil.

ISBN 978-81-999106-3-8 (Print)
ISBN 978-81-999106-6-9 (eBook)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-81-999106-3-8

Materials science is at a decisive moment, as the search for sustainable, efficient, and low-cost solutions is redefining the role of natural resources in technological innovation. In this context, palygorskite emerges as one of the most promising functional clay minerals, linking geology, chemistry, and materials engineering within a single nanostructured architecture. This book presents a rigorous and up-to-date analysis of palygorskite, guiding readers from its geological occurrence to the atomic mechanisms that govern its properties and applications. Throughout the chapters, the authors show how the structure of nanometric ribbons and channels not only defines the mineral’s fibrous morphology but also controls adsorption processes, thermal stability, and chemical reactivity under extreme confinement. One of the great merits of this work is its integration of fundamental science and technological application. Palygorskite is presented not as a passive material but as a functional platform capable of stabilising organic molecules, organising fluids, serving as a catalytic support, and integrating high-performance hybrid systems. The discussion of physicochemical processing and activation shows that preserving the mineral’s nanoarchitecture is as crucial as exposing its active sites. With clarity, depth, and strategic vision, this book demonstrates how an abundant mineral can become a key player in technologies for environmental remediation, catalysis, antibacterial materials, membranes, and surface engineering. It is essential reading for researchers and students who want to understand how nature’s structural intelligence can be transformed into scientific solutions for the challenges of the 21^st century.

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