Assessment of the Antibacterial Potential of Layered Double Hydroxides

Abstract

Microbes play a crucial role in our lives, and certain pathogenic bacteria are responsible for a wide range of infectious illnesses, food safety, and environmental damage. Layered double hydroxide (LDH), a type of natural two-dimensional substance with a distinctive layered structure also known as anionic clays, has been established as a material that may be utilized to battle a variety of bacterial infections. The interesting properties of LDH include their ease of synthesis, unique structure, uniform distribution of different metal cations in the brucite layer, surface hydroxyl groups, flexible tunability, intercalated anions with interlayer spaces, swelling properties, oxo-bridged linkage, and high chemical and thermal stability, ability to intercalate different types of anions (inorganic, organic, biomolecules, and even genes), delivery of intercalated anions. In the field of biomaterials, LDH has gained prominence as a significant class of layered materials with promising applications. Here, emphasis has been placed on factors such as biocompatibility, anion exchange with the target ion, holding of guest species in the interlayer space, and controlled anion release in a given medium. By utilizing LDH's inherent biocompatibility, several studies have improved its antibacterial characteristics, enabling researchers to add active substances into its matrix for the treatment of bacterial-caused disease. Despite the fact that LDH's antibacterial capabilities have been the subject of several studies, there are currently very few reviews of such findings. Therefore, this study reviewed current developments in new LDH techniques to enhance their antimicrobial activity and provided background on their structures.