Layered double hydroxides

[2] LDHs occur in nature as minerals, as byproducts of metabolism of certain bacteria, and also unintentionally in man-made contexts, such as the products of corrosion of metal objects.

Most commonly, M(II) = Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+ or Zn2+, and M(III) is another trivalent cation (Al3+, Cr3+), or possibly of the same element as in the case of green rust with Fe3+.

Drug molecules such as ibuprofen may be intercalated; the resulting nanocomposites have potential for use in controlled release systems, which could reduce the frequency of doses of medication needed to treat a disorder.

Further effort has been expended on the intercalation of agrochemicals, such as the chlorophenoxyacetates, and important organic synthons, such as terephthalate and nitrophenols.

The selective intercalation of ions such as benzenedicarboxylates and nitrophenols has importance because these are produced in isomeric mixtures from crude oil residues, and it is often desirable to isolate a single form, for instance in the production of polymers.

These groups are: The IMA Report[3] also presents a concise systematic nomenclature for synthetic LDH phases that are not eligible for a mineral name.