Process for preparing high surface area triple layered perovskites

A process for preparing a non-pillared metal oxide triple layered perovskites having a surface area of at least 30 m2/g and an empirical formula of:

• AB2M3O10−x
• where A is a monovalent exchangeable cation, B is at least one metal ion having a valence of +2 or +3, M is at least one metal ion having a valence of +2, +3, +4 or +5 as defined by the equation:
• M3=Me+2+Mf+3+Mg+4+Mh+5
• where “e”, “f”, “g” and “h” are the mole fractions of M+2, M+3, M+4 and M+5 respectively, “e” has a value from about 0 to about 1, “f” has a value from about 0 to about 1, “g” has a value from about 0 to about 3, “h” has a value from about 0 to about 3, 3=e+f+g+h and 1≧e+f and “x” has a value from about 0 to about 1, the process comprising forming a reaction mixture containing reactive sources of “A”, “B” and “M” at a pH greater than seven, a temperature and a time sufficient to form the perovskite, the reaction mixture having a composition expressed in terms of mole ratios of oxides of
• aA2O:
• bBOy:
• cMOz:dH2O
• where “a” has a value of about 0.2 to about 2, “b” has a value of about 2, “y” has a value of about 1.0 to about 1.5, “c” has a value of about 3, “z” has a value of about 1.67 to about 2.5 and “d” has a value of about 10 to about 500.