The natural Brazilian clays F-101, F-117 and kaolin were characterized by chemical and textural analysis, XRD, and 27Al and 29Si MAS-NMR. The F-101 clay is a smectite, while F-117 is an interstratified structure with smectite, kaolinite and mica as clay-minerals. Kaolin is mainly kaolinite. F-101 and F-117 clays were more efficient catalysts for the coiodination of styrene and cyclohexene with water and alcohols to produce iodohydrins and beta-iodoethers, respectively, than the kaolin and montmorillonite K-10 clay.
natural clays; characterization methods; catalysis; coiodination; green chemistry