Vol. 11, Issue 2 (2023)

Clays and modified or supported clays have become some of the widely used catalysts for a variety of organic reactions, due to their easy structural modifications and activation, low-cost, eco-friendly nature, ready availability, ability to act as acidic or basic catalyst without being corrosive. The present article is on ‘Importance of vlays in organic reactions’. In 1983 Adams used neutron diffraction study for kaolinite. The use of aluminosilicates in heterogeneous catalysis is almost as old as the catalytic concept itself. In 1865 von Liebig has observed the catalytic activity of powdered porcelain. He showed that reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to form water and the conversion of sulphurous acid to sulphuric acid can be catalysed with powdered porcelain or ordinary pumice. An early example from organic chemistry is that by Montaland who in 1911 used Palygorskite as catalyst for the isomerisation of Pinene to camphene. In the next year Gurwitsch reported the use of the same catalyst to polymerise pentenes and hexenes to di and trimers and higher polymers.