Smectites exchanged to various degrees with mono- or biprotonated 1,4-diazobicyclo(2,2,2)-octane (Dabco) have a porous structure in which the organic molecule acts as a “pillar.” Less Dabco2+ than Dabco1+ was necessary both to initiate and to complete expansion, whereas for both Dabco1+ and Dabco2+ the threshold for expansion increased with the charge density of the clay. Interstratification of 9.7-Å and 14.5-Å (Dabco1+) or 14.1-Å (Dabco2+) layers was observed before full expansion occurred.

Nitrogen sorption isotherms on partially exchanged Dabco1+- and Dabco2+-clays are of the BET II and Langmuir type respectively, whereas n-butane adsorbed according to BET type II for both cationic forms. The specific surface area was governed by the number of Dabcoz+ pillars, irrespective of the inorganic cation, and increased with Dabcoz+ content even beyond the composition where full expansion was reached and notwithstanding the increasing number of silicate layers in the c direction of the crystal units. This relationship is explained by an enhanced random interleaving of clay platelets in the stacking units containing Dabcoz+.

By ion exchanging expandable clay minerals with large, cationic oxyaluminum polymers, “pillars” were introduced that permanently prop open the clay layers. On the basis of thermal, infrared spectroscopic, adsorption, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, the interlayering of commercial sodium bentonite with aluminum chlorohydroxide, [Al13O4(OH)24(H2O)12]+7, polymers appears to have produced an expanded clay with a surface area of 200–300 m2/g. The pillared product contained both Brönsted and Lewis acid sites. XRD and differential scanning calorimetry measurements indicated that the micropore structure of this interlayered clay is stable to 540°C. Between 540° and 760°C, the pillared clay collapsed with a corresponding decrease in surface area (to 55 m2/g) and catalytic cracking activity for a Kuwait gas oil having a 260°-426°C boiling range.

The elimination of Pb2+ and recovery of lead metal during the treatment of industrial sewage is an important research topic. Montmorillonite (Mnt) is a promising material in this regard. The purpose of the present study was to improve the Pb2+ adsorption ability of Na-containing Mnt (Na-Mnt) by pillaring titania (anatase) into its interlayer spaces using a sol-gel method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ratio of Ti to Mnt affected the crystal phase of titania-pillared Na-Mnt (Ti-Mnt), and changed the interlayer spacing of the (001) plane of Ti-Mnt and the growth of anatase. The Pb2+-adsorption capabilities of Ti-Mnt were tested using an aqueous solution of lead nitrate as a wastewater model. The Ti-Mnt prepared adsorbed >99.99% of the Pb2+; leached and activated Ti-Mnt adsorbed >95.7% of the Pb2+, indicating that Ti-Mnt could be recycled effectively. Furthermore, the Pb2+-adsorption capability of Ti- Mnt was related to the interlayer spacing of Mnt, the distribution of anatase particles pillared in Mnt, and the specific surface area, especially with respect to the relationship between the anatase particles and the interlayer spacing of the (001) plane.

In 1866, Charles F. Hall recorded testimony from a Pelly Bay native named Sŭ-pung-er who reported that together with his uncle, they had visited the Northwest coast of King William Island 4 years prior in search of materials abandoned by the Franklin Expedition. Sŭ-pung-er told Hall that he had identified a site which Hall believed was a “vault” which might contain documents and speculated that it could have been a burial site for a high-ranking officer. Sŭ-pung-er’s testimony also included the description of a wooden “pillar, stick or post” which marked the spot of the vault. The location of this site and the pillar have never been found. Yet they remain sought-after for both their significance and the potential bonanza of information about the expedition. Any clue or artefact, which could provide clarity for this site, is therefore of great value. This paper describes a model of the pillar seen on King Williams Island, replicated by Sŭ-pung-er, which Hall brought back from the Arctic and included in his list of Franklin relics. The model, now housed in the Smithsonian Museum of American History, was first featured in a drawing of relics appearing in 1869 in Harper’s Weekly magazine. The fact that this artefact has been in plain sight for so long, but unrecognised for what it is, is significant. The pillar model both provides clarity and continues the mystery surrounding the Franklin Expedition.