Hybridization Between Natural Extract of Angelica gigas Nakai and Inorganic Nanomaterial of Layered Double Hydroxide via Reconstruction Reaction.

We have hybridized layered double hydroxide (LDH) with Angelica gigas Nakai root extract (AGNR) through reversible dehydration-rehydration reaction which is known as reconstruction. LDHs having well-ordered hydrotalcite-like crystal structure and average size 250 ± 20 nm were prepared by hydrothermal method. The root of Angelica gigas Nakai, which has been utilized in the treatment of female disorders as herbal medicine, was treated with methanol to obtain extract. Pristine LDHs were calcined at 400 °C for 8 hours to obtain layered double oxide (LDO), which was further dispersed into extract solution with various AGNR/LDO weight ratios, 0.11, 0.21 and 0.43. The extract content in each hybrid increased in proportion to initial AGNR/LDO ratio, showing the highest content of ~12%. The zeta potential of LDH shifted from +44 mV to +20 mV upon hybridization with extract, which was attributed to the adsorption of negatively charged organic moieties in AGNR on LDH surface. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) results exhibited that the random stacking of LDH nanolayers resulted in LDH-AGNR hybrid with house-of-cards structure, of which inter-particle cavity serves nano-reservoir for natural extract. According to quantitative analyses, it was revealed that the content of active components in AGNR increased when they were hybridized with LDHs compared with those in AGNR alone.