Layered silicates provide an interesting avenue to novel materials. There has been a growing interest in recent years for the development of functional materials using tailor made clays. This review highlights one such tailor made, water dispersible aminopropyl functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (aminoclay) of the type R₈Si₈Mg₆O₁₆(OH)₄, (where R = –CH₂CH₂NH₂) and its multiple applications in catalysis, biology, fuel cells and light-harvesting hybrids.

MoS₂ membranes show high performance H₂/CO₂ separation at high H₂ permeability. The MoS₂ membranes were found to be thermally stable up to 160 °C and a significant increase in gas permeability was observed due to the thermally driven phase transition from the 1T to the 2H phase.