Magnetic two-dimensional Ca-Al layered double hydroxide/Fe3O4@dextran nanocomposites as drug delivery systems

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are one of the two-dimensional (2D) anionic clay materials that have received great attention for drug delivery applications due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and drug loading efficiency. In this research, Al-Ca layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized in situ in presence of Fe3O4@dextran nanoparticles through the co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that by increasing the Fe3O4@dextran nanoparticles content, the peaks are broadened due to the intercalation. Field-emission electron microscopy (FESEM) images showed the LDH nanosheets are decorated with Fe3O4@dextran nanoparticles. The saturation magnetization for the sample LDH-Fe3O4@dextran was found to be 13.7 emu/g. The LDH-Fe3O4@dextran sample could load doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) with a loading efficiency of 69 %. The in vitro studies showed that the drug release from the synthesized nanocomposite is pH-sensitive. The accumulative release of DOX could reach 59 % in an environment with a pH of 7.4 and 71 % in an environment with a pH of 5.5 within 24 hrs. The synthesized magnetic nano-carrier is promising for its application as a drug delivery nanocarrier with a faster drug release in the tumor microenvironment.