Silica-clay complexes

The present invention relates to SiO2-intercalated clay compns. and methods for producing them. The instant compns. comprise clays which have been intercalated with 3-dimensional SiO2 pillars resulting in compns. having the clay layers sepd. by >=2 layers of Si atoms. The instant compns. have excellent high temp. and hydrothermal stability. They are useful as catalysts, catalyst supports, adsorbents and filtering bed media. They are particularly useful for process involving large or bulky org. mols. Thus, a hydrocarbon cracking catalyst, prepd. by impregnating Ce bentonite with 2-(2-trichlorosilylethyl)pyridine [17082-69-8] in MeOH followed by calcination at 650 Deg in air for 1 h, gave 45% conversion of hydrotreated light catalytic cracking feed and produced only 5% coke. [on SciFinder (R)]