Abstract
Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are an emergent class of biocompatible inorganic lamellar nanomaterials that have attracted significant research interest owing to their high surface-to-volume ratio, the capability to accumulate specific molecules, and the timely release to targets. Their unique properties have been employed for applications in organic catalysis, photocatalysis, sensors, drug delivery, and cell biology. Given the widespread contemporary interest in these topics, time-to-time it urges to review the recent progresses. This review aims to summarize the most recent cutting-edge reports appearing in the last years. It firstly focuses on the application of LDHs as catalysts in relevant chemical reactions and as photocatalysts for organic molecule degradation, water splitting reaction, CO2 conversion, and reduction. Subsequently, the emerging role of these materials in biological applications is discussed, specifically focusing on their use as biosensors, DNA, RNA, and drug delivery, finally elucidating their suitability as contrast agents and for cellular differentiation. Concluding remarks and future prospects deal with future applications of LDHs, encouraging researches in better understanding the fundamental mechanisms involved in catalytic and photocatalytic processes, and the molecular pathways that are activated by the interaction of LDHs with cells in terms of both uptake mechanisms and nanotoxicology effects.
Highlights
Nanostructured materials or nanomaterials (NMs) represent an important area of research and a technological sector with full expansion for many different applications
Application of Layered double hydroxides (LDHs)-ionic liquids (ILs)-Cn for Knoevenagel condensation of various aldehydes with ethyl cyanoacetate/malononitrile results in excellent yields, high selectivity, and efficacy in aqueous solution at room temperature, and recyclability as well. It is here worth mentioning a less conventional approach proposed by Zhou and coworkers, who reported on LDHs developed for the catalysis of two different reactions, which happened in sequence in their case, but that could be controlled by the presence/absence of specific chemicals [91]
Further analyses over materials derived from calcination of the pristine LDHs showed inferior activity; changes in the performance could be traced in the gradual collapse of the layered structure, until no activity could be observed for the photocatalytically inactive double oxide
Summary
Nanostructured materials or nanomaterials (NMs) represent an important area of research and a technological sector with full expansion for many different applications. As to the concerning earlier investigations and providing recent researches that are establishing new chemistry-related topics, the interest for LDHs is reviewed especially focusing on relevant organic trends. We will analyze the intriguing role of these materials in biology, where their organic molecule degradation, water splitting reaction, CO2 conversion/reduction, and other biocompatibility and the suitability as powerful drug vectors have triggered an enormous research examples (Section 3). We will provide a focus enormous research interest in the last few years (more than 1000 papers published in 2018 regarding drug and DNA delivery, according to data extracted from the Scopus database) In this regard, we will provide a focus on the research results of the last two years, regarding applications of LDHs as biosensors (Section 4), especially focusing on the novel exciting applications as optical sensors. A specific view on LDHs as key materials in cellular differentiation, drug delivery, and contrast agents will be provided (Section 6)
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