Research progress on functional vermiculitecomposite materials
Vermiculite is an environment-friendly natural silicate mineral,possessing a unique layered structure and stable physico-chemical properties.The high porosity and low interlayer binding energy endow its exfoliation into two-dimensional(2D)nanosheets,which can be further used to build new composite functional materials.To focus on the modification of vermiculite nanosheets and their high-value applications,this review describes the kinds and exfoliating methods of natural layered materials,expounds the structure and properties of 2D vermiculite nanosheets,and systematically elaborates the research progress of vermiculite nanosheets in ion channel,biomedicine,adsorption,gas barrier,catalysis,energy storage,and other aspects.Finally,in response to the existing problems in the study of vermiculite,the future development trends were discussed.