Applications of Layered Double Hydroxide Materials: Recent Advances and Perspective

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of layered materials with highly tunable composition and controllable morphology. The layered structure of LDHs enables fabrication of a large variety of intercalated, assembled, and hybrid materials which have a wide range of applications as photofunctional materials and bio-related materials, in catalysis and electrochemistry, and as multifunctional materials. The efficacy of LDHs in many applications can be attributed to the confined microenvironment of the guest species and the host-guest interactions. In this review, we will first summarize the synthetic strategies used to produce LDHs and LDH-based materials and then discuss their host-guest interactions and finally their applications.