In a previous study the concept of nanocomposite for pharmaceutical applications, more specifically in drugs' release, was used. A polymer-layered silicate nanocomposite (PLN) of PVP K-30 - organophilic MMT (OMMT) at a 2:1 ratio was produced in dichloromethane solution and successfully evaluated as a pharmaceutical adjuvant. In this study the influence of reaction time was investigated. XRD data indicates that maximum interlamellar distances were achieved after 12 hours. These results lead us to carry out a more detailed study in order to follow the intercalation process. The influence of several increasing reaction times (15 minutes to 72 hours) on the interplanar distances of PVP-OMMT (in dichloromethane solution) and PVP-MMT (in aqueous solution) at 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2 ratios was investigated with XRD. The data obtained showed that new PLN were obtained at short time reaction times (up to 1 hour), which was attributed to amide structure of the polymer (PVP), capable of establishing links with the anionic clay lamellae.
PVP K-30; MMT; OMMT; PLN
