Low-dimension, ion-exchange materials incluye several aluminosilicates and birnessites (low valency, Mn oxides) for systems containing interlayer cations, and layered double hydroxides (known as well as hydrotalcite-type materials), and materials related to zinc or copper hydroxysaltsfor systems containing interlayer anions.
The structure of basic Zn salts, such as Zn5(OH)8Cl2· nH2O can be related to the brucite, Mg(OH)2, structure, upon removal of one fourth of the octahedrally located cations, and inserting two cations in tetrahedral sites on both sides of the layer; tetrahedral coordination of Zn2+ cations is attained through an interlayer anion and three hydroxyl groups from the layers. In the present study we report on materials where Ni2+ cations are in octahedral sites in the layers, with the composition: [Ni1-xZn2x(OH)2(CH3COO)2x]·nH2O.