Properties of adsorption of vitamin B12 on nanoclay as a versatile carrier

- Properties of adsorption of vitamin B12 on nanoclay was studied.
- Initially migration of interlayer cations of nanoclay to the edges was occurred.
- Cationic bridge was formed between biomolecules and nanoclay at the edges.
- Nanoclay was introduced as a versatile carrier of food supplements.
- Mechanism and arrangement of vitamin B12 adsorption onto nanoclay was controlled.

In this study properties of adsorption of vitamin B12 onto nanoclay were investigated. Results of kinetics of adsorption were used to investigate the structural formation and nature of interaction of vitamin B12 onto montmorillonite as a carrier. The results showed that at the early stages of adsorption with migration of interlayer cations of montmorillonite (Ca2+and Na+) to the edges a cationic bridge was formed and the vitamin biomolecules were adsorbed at the edges of montmorillonite. By increasing the adsorption duration, vitamin B12 molecules gradually diffused in between montmorillonite layers. Such diffusion was facilitated when enough interaction existed between montmorillonite surface charges and vitamin biomolecules. The results of this study provided information about controlling the adsorption properties of biomolecules to the montmorillonite for preparation of nano-engineered nano/biomaterials for food and pharmaceutical applications.

Proposed mechanism and arrangement of adsorption of vitamin B12 on montmorillonite with different surface charges.