Layered Double Hydroxide as Gene Reservoir

Novel bio-/organic-inorganic hybrid compounds of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and methotrexate (MTX)-layered double hydroxide are prepared by ion-exchange type intercalation reaction. The layered inorganic support. Mg2Al(NO3)-LDH, is at first obtained by coprecipitation in an aqueous solution, and then the interlayer NO3 − anions are replaced by guest molecules such as methotrexate (an anticancer drug) and deoxyribonucleic acid (about 500 ∼ 1000 base pairs), leading to form new bio-/organic-nanohybrids. Upon intercalating guest molecules into hydroxide layers, the basal spacing of LDH increases from 8.5 Å (NO3 −) to 20.8 Å (MTX) and 23.9 Å (DNA), respectively. According to the X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopic analyses, it is found that the target molecules are safely preserved by hydroxide layers maintaining their chemical and structural properties.