From old to new inorganic materials for advanced applications: The paradigmatic example of the sepiolite clay mineral

This review article focuses on sepiolite fibrous clay mineral, which has been selected here as an example of ancient inorganic natural material that is currently receiving much attention excellent candidate for advanced materials and applications. Sepiolite abundant hydrated magnesium silicate whose crystal structure determines the presence nanoporous cavities well large surface rheological properties great interest further design functional materials. The present work introduces discusses relationship between aspects this clay, in terms its structural morphological organization, physicochemical characteristics from emerging applications arise. One sections devoted to describe current industrial commercially available sepiolite-based As can be considered a nanomaterial by itself, approaches including controlled chemical physical modifications intended develop new hybrid nanostructured provided with pre-designed functionalities. Among them, polymer nanocomposites include bionanocomposites carbon-sepiolite nanomaterials, adsorption pollutants, functionalization magnetic nanoparticles, active phase sensors DNA support gene transfer are some examples we refer article.