Topochemical Transformation of Phyllosilicate Clay into Chlorite and Brucite

The intralayer structure of phyllosilicate clay could be manipulated into chlorite and brucite depending on the degree of leaching by the NaOH content. Selective leaching of tetrahedral Si sheets would result in the topochemical transformation of the 2:1 type silicate clay into chlorite, whereas complete removal of tetrahedral Si sheets would lead to the formation of brucite.