Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
X-ray diffraction (XRD) and adsorption isotherms have long been traditional methods of characterising molecular sieves. By combining these techniques at low temperatures with variable temperature 129-Xe N.M.R. we now have a fuller understanding of the behaviour of sorbed layers inside these materials. In particular we have observed phase transformations of Xe in a polyhydroxyaluminium-pillared montmorillonite molecular sieve and have developed a model consistent with the data. In addition, using XRD, an interpillar distance of ca. 30Å was calculated. We present the first detailed low temperature studies of 129-Xe N.M.R. on these systems.