Synthesis, characterization and biological properties of intercalated kaolinite nanoclays: intercalation and biocompatibility

The aims of the present study were to synthesize the intercalated kaolinite samples with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), glutamic acid (GA), succinimide (SIM), cetylpyridiniumchloride (CPC), and hexadecyltrimethylammoniumchloride (HDTMA+); to characterize by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), and to determine the hemocompatibility and the cytotoxic effects of the intercalated kaolinite nanoclays on human lymphocytes. It was found that the intercalation with DMSO did not cause any decrease in cell viability until its maximum concentration (500 μg/mL), however, the intercalation with SIM, CPC, and (HDTMA+) causd important decreases in lymphocyte viabilities. It was determined that no significant decrease was observed in protein content of the lymphocyte cells exposed to the kaolinite nanoclays except the ones intercalated with SIM. Furthermore, the pristine kaolinite nanoclays which were intercalated with DMSO, GA, and SIM exhibited high hemocompatibility and the nanoclays intercalated with CPC and (HDTMA+) were highly hemocompatibile for the amounts below 125 and 500 μg/mL, respectively. All the results of this work can serve for the human risk assesment of intercalated nanoclays.