Effect of Isomorphous Substitution on the Thermal Decomposition Mechanism of Hydrotalcites.

Hydrotalcites have many important applications in catalysis, wastewater treatment, gene delivery and polymer stabilization, all depending on preparation history and treatment scenarios. In catalysis and polymer stabilization, thermal decomposition is of great importance. Hydrotalcites form easily with atmospheric carbon dioxide and often interfere with the study of other anion containing systems, particularly if formed at room temperature. The dehydroxylation and decomposition of carbonate occurs simultaneously, making it difficult to distinguish the dehydroxylation mechanisms directly. To date, the majority of work on understanding the decomposition mechanism has utilized hydrotalcite precipitated at room temperature. In this study, evolved gas analysis combined with thermal analysis has been used to show that CO2 contamination is problematic in materials being formed at RT that are poorly crystalline. This has led to some dispute as to the nature of the dehydroxylation mechanism. In this paper, data for the thermal decomposition of the chloride form of hydrotalcite are reported. In addition, carbonate-free hydrotalcites have been synthesized with different charge densities and at different growth temperatures. This combination of parameters has allowed a better understanding of the mechanism of dehydroxylation and the role that isomorphous substitution plays in these mechanisms to be delineated. In addition, the effect of anion type on thermal stability is also reported. A stepwise dehydroxylation model is proposed that is mediated by the level of aluminum substitution.

Charge density and particle size effects on oligonucleotide and plasmid DNA binding to nanosized hydrotalcite.

Hydrotalcite (HT) and other layered double metal hydroxides are of great interest as gene delivery and timed release drug delivery systems and as enteric vehicles for biologically active molecules that are sensitive to gastric fluids. HT is a naturally occurring double metal hydroxide that can be synthesized as a nanomaterial consisting of a brucite structure with isomorphous substitution of aluminum ions. These positively charged nanoparticles exhibit plate-like morphology with very high aspect ratios. Biomolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins form strong associations with HT because they can associate with the positively charged layers. The binding of nucleic acids with HT and other nanomaterials is currently being investigated for potential use in gene therapy; however, the binding of specific nucleic acid forms, such as single- and double-stranded DNA, has been little explored. In addition, the effects of charge density and particle size on DNA adsorption has not been studied. In this paper, the binding of different forms of DNA to a series of HTs prepared at different temperatures and with different anion exchange capacities has been investigated. Experiments demonstrated that HTs synthesized at higher temperatures associate with both single- and double-stranded oligomers and circular plasmid DNA more tightly than HTs synthesized at room temperature, likely due to the hydrothermal conditions promoting larger particle sizes. HT with an anion exchange capacity of 300 meq/100 g demonstrated the highest binding of DNA, likely due to the closer match of charge densities between the HT and DNA. The details of the interaction of various forms of DNA with HT as a function of charge density, particle size, and concentration are discussed.