Lumen Of Halloysite Nanotubes Research Articles

Confinement of Lauric Acid into the Lumen of Halloysite Nanotubes

Confinement of Lauric Acid into the Lumen of Halloysite Nanotubes

A photothermally antibacterial Au@Halloysite nanotubes/lignin composite hydrogel for promoting wound healing

The construction of an effective antibacterial micro-environment to prevent infection and biofilm formation is critically important for the design of wound dressings. Herein, a novel hydrogel wound dressing was fabricated by embedding Au nanoparticles-decorated halloysite nanotubes (Au@HNTs) into the lignin-based hydrogel matrix containing polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan. The resulting composite hydrogel, noted as LPC-Au@HNTs, exhibited an excellent photothermal antibacterial activity owing to the embedded Au@HNTs in which Au nanoparticles were generously filled into the lumen of Halloysite nanotubes. The typical sample containing 4 wt% of Au@HNTs in the composite hydrogel (LPC-Au@HNTs4) had good mechanical and photothermal properties. The surface temperature of as-prepared hydrogel increased to 57.59 °C after 5 min upon NIR light irradiation (808 nm) at 1.0 W/cm2. The photothermal effect endowed the hydrogel dressing with excellent antibacterial activity, with significantly enhanced inhibition rates of Escherichia coli (99.00 %) and Staphylococcus aureus (98.88 %). Experiments in a mouse full-thickness skin defect wound model also showed that the hydrogel dressing had a facilitative effect on the repair of traumatic surfaces. This study provides a broadly appliable wound dressing for treating bacteria-infected wounds, greatly contributing to the design of photothermal antibacterial biomedical materials for wound healing.

One-pot synthesis of aluminum hypophosphite encapsulation in expanded halloysite lumen for reducing fire hazard and environmental pollution

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) have been studied and applied in the field of flame retardant. It is still a challenge to realize a facial method to accommodate more flame retardants while expanding the inner lumen of HNTs simultaneously. In this work, the inner cavity expansion and the encapsulation of aluminum hypophosphite of HNTs is obtained (AHP@HNTs) by a simple one-pot synthesis. The prepared AHP@HNTs were applied to the flame retarded Epoxy resin (EP) and the results show that AHP@HNTs can achieve better flame retardant effect at a lower addition (3 %) than individual additions of AHP or HNTs at higher addition (5 %) manifested by the reduction of the heat and smoke release. The decrease of effective heat combustion (EHC) reveals a gaseous phase flame retardant mechanism. Moreover, the environmental pollution after combustion was evaluated by an innovative method based on the particulate collection from smoke. The reduction of particulate formation and the improvement of char residue confirms the condensed flame retardant mechanism of AHP@HNTs on EP.

Halloysite-gold core-shell nanosystem synergistically enhances thermal conductivity and mechanical properties to optimize the wear-resistance of a pheonlic-PBO/PTFE textile composite liner

Polymer-textile liner composites have potential applications in aerospace applications for reducing the abrasion damage of moving parts during operation owing to their self-lubrication, light weight, and high loading capacity. Herein, Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) are successfully loaded into the lumen of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) to construct an HNTs-Au peasecod core-shell nanosystem to optimize the wear resistance of phenolic resin-based poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO)/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) textile composites. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization reveals that the AuNPs are well-dispersed inside the HNTs, with an average diameter of 6–9 nm. The anti-wear performance of the HNTs and Au-reinforced PBO/PTFE composites is evaluated using a pin-on-disk friction tester at 100 MPa. Evidently, the addition of HNTs-Au induces a 27.9% decrease in the wear rate of the composites. Possible anti-wear mechanisms are proposed based on the analyzed results of the worn surface morphology and the cross-section of the tribofilm obtained by focused ion beam transmission electron microscopy.

Magnetic nanoreactor Fe3O4@HNTs as heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for acid fuchsin degradation: Efficiency, kinetics and mechanism

Compared with traditional heterogeneous Fenton catalysis, iron-based catalysts with nano-confinement effect could significantly improve the effectiveness for organic pollutants degradation, due to the shorter migration distance and longer half-life of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we encapsulated the Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the lumen of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) by means of the electrostatic interactions to fabricate the Fe3O4@HNTs nanoreactor with an outstanding Fenton-like catalytic performance. The instrumental characterizations indicated that the Fe3O4 NPs successfully loaded on the inner wall of HNTs. An active dye acid fuchsin (AF) was chosen as the target pollution to evaluate the Fenton-like catalytic performance of Fe3O4@HNTs nanoreactor. The experimental results showed that the degradation efficiency of 50 mg L−1 AF could approach 100% in 120 min reaction time under almost neutral pHs. To have an insight into the Fenton-like mechanism of Fe3O4@HNTs nanoreactor, the comparisons of AF degradation in different systems, dominant free radicals, iron leaching concentration, H2O2 decomposition efficiency, and ·OH production efficiency were investigated in details. In addition, the degradation pathways of AF were also predicted based on the density functional theory, frontier orbit theory, and high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrum (HPLC-QTOF-MS) technique.

Glufosinate Ammonium-Loaded Halloysite Nanotubes for Slow-Release Weeding Polymer Mulch Films

Improving the performance and giving function to poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-based biodegradable mulch film have always been research hotspots. However, the problems of a translucent PBAT-based film, which decreases in performance over time and is easily damaged by weeds, need to be solved. In this study, 11.17 wt % of the commercial contact herbicide Glufosinate-ammonium (Glu) was loaded into the lumen of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). The Glu-loaded HNTs (Glu@HNTs) and other treatment groups were further incorporated into the PBAT/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite films by melt blending and blow molding. Results demonstrated that Glu, HNTs, and Glu@HNTs dispersed uniformly in the composite films. Remarkably, while maintaining the original tensile strength of the film, the nominal strain of transverse fracture was increased by 19.6% to 51.2%, and the least water vapor transmission was reduced by 46.7% to 68.5%. Furthermore, the composite films added with Glu@HNTs can successfully kill green bristlegrass and show a good slow-release effect, which can avoid premature release of the herbicide before the weeds grow up. Overall, the combination of inorganic nanofiller-modified PBAT/PLA film and weeding has positive significance for reducing soil pollution and helping the long-term efficient use of biodegradable mulching.

Antimicrobial film based on poly(lactic acid) and natural halloysite nanotubes for controlled cinnamaldehyde release

Using nanocarriers to load antimicrobial agent instead of direct incorporating into film matrix could avoid burst release. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are natural clays with a unique tubular structure; therefore in many studies it served as carriers to achieve a controlled release of active agents. However, when HNTs biocomposites were loaded into packaging film, the antimicrobial activity was reduced too seriously to preserve the packaged food. This study aimed to improving preservation properties of the fabricated films from two perspectives: enlarging the loading capacity of the carrier, and increasing the concentration of HNTs biocomposites. Brunauer, Emmett, Teller's test (BET) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were conducted to evaluate the performance of acid treated nanocomposites. Results showed that acid treatment expanded the lumen of HNTs, increasing the loading capacity of cinnamaldehyde (Cin) from 14.6 wt% to 25.0 wt%. Active packaging films were then fabricated by incorporating Cin loaded HNTs into poly(lactic acid) matrix, and it revealed bionanocomposites at 30 wt% achieved the optimum film, considering the mechanical performance and controlled release of Cin. Cumulative release rate of the films were further verified by the fumigant antimicrobial activity. This study demonstrates a solution for improving the antimicrobial properties of packaging film without comprising mechanical strength.

In-Out Surface Modification of Halloysite Nanotubes (HNTs) for Excellent Cure of Epoxy: Chemistry and Kinetics Modeling.

In-out surface modification of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) has been successfully performed by taking advantage of 8-hydroxyquinolines in the lumen of HNTs and precisely synthesized aniline oligomers (AO) of different lengths (tri- and pentamer) anchored on the external surface of the HNTs. Several analyses, including FTIR, H-NMR, TGA, UV-visible spectroscopy, and SEM, were used to establish the nature of the HNTs’ surface engineering. Nanoparticles were incorporated into epoxy resin at 0.1 wt.% loading for investigation of the contribution of surface chemistry to epoxy cure behavior and kinetics. Nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data were fed into home-written MATLAB codes, and isoconversional approaches were used to determine the apparent activation energy (Eα) as a function of the extent of cure reaction (α). Compared to pristine HNTs, AO-HNTs facilitated the densification of an epoxy network. Pentamer AO-HNTs with longer arms promoted an Excellent cure; with an Eα value that was 14% lower in the presence of this additive than for neat epoxy, demonstrating an enhanced cross-linking. The model also predicted a triplet of cure (m, n, and ln A) for autocatalytic reaction order, non-catalytic reaction order, and pre-exponential factor, respectively, by the Arrhenius equation. The enhanced autocatalytic reaction in AO-HNTs/epoxy was reflected in a significant rise in the value of m, from 0.11 to 0.28. Kinetic models reliably predict the cure footprint suggested by DSC measurements.

Spatial effects of photosensitization on morphology of giant unilamellar vesicles

Singlet oxygen (1O2) formed through photosensitization may initiate oxidative destruction of biomembranes, however, the influence from the spatial organization of photosensitizers (PS) relative to membranes remains unclear. To clarify this issue, we loaded riboflavin 5′-(dihydrogen phosphate) monosodium (FMN-Na) as a hydrophilic PS into the lumen of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), and attached the nanoassemblies (FMN-Na@HNTs), via Pickering effects, to the outer surfaces of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) of phospholipids. We also prepared GUVs dopped with lumiflavin (LF) as a lipophilic PS having a 1O2 quantum yield comparable to FMN-Na. FMN-Na capsulated in HNT was characterized by a longer triplet excited state lifetime (12.1 μs) compared to FMN-Na free in solution (7.5 μs), and FMN-Na in both forms efficiently generated 1O2 upon illumination. The spatio-effects of PS on the photosensitized morphological changes of membranes were studied using conventional optical microscopy by monitoring GUV morphological changes. Upon light exposure (400–440 nm), the GUVs attached with FMN-Na@HNT merely experienced membrane deformation starting from the original spherical shape, ascribed to Type II photosensitization with 1O2 as oxidant. In contrast, photooxidation of LF dopped GUVs mainly led to membrane coarsening and budding assigned to Type I photosensitization. The spatial effects of PS on photosensitized morphological changes were related to the different lipid oxidation products generated through Type I and Type II photosensitized lipid oxidation.

An Approach for Magnetic Halloysite Nanocomposite with Selective Loading of Superparamagnetic Magnetite Nanoparticles in the Lumen

We present for the first time a method for the preparation of magnetic halloysite nanotubes (HNT) by loading of preformed superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles (SPION) of diameter size ∼6 nm with a hydrodynamic diameter of ∼10 nm into HNT. We found that the most effective route to reach this goal relies on the modification of the inner lumen of HNT by tetradecylphosphonic acid (TDP) to give HNT–TDP, followed by the loading with preformed oleic acid (OA)-stabilized SPION. Transmission electron microscopy evidenced the presence of highly crystalline magnetic nanoparticles only in the lumen, partially ordered in chainlike structures. Conversely, attempts to obtain the same result by exploiting either the positive charge of the HNT inner lumen employing SPIONs covered with negatively charged capping agents or the in situ synthesis of SPION by thermal decomposition were not effective. HNT–TDP were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and ζ-potential, and all of the techniques confirmed the presence of TDP onto the HNT. Moreover, the inner localization of TDP was ascertained by the use of Nile Red, a molecule whose luminescence is very sensitive to the polarity of the environment. The free SPION@OA (as a colloidal suspension and as a powder) and SPION-in-HNT powder were magnetically characterized by measuring the ZFC-FC magnetization curves as well as the hysteresis cycles at 300 and 2.5 K, confirming that the super-paramagnetic behavior and the main magnetic properties of the free SPION were preserved once embedded in SPION-in-HNT.

Silver nanoparticles incorporated in dicarboxylic/TEPA modified halloysite nanotubes for the degradation of organic contaminants

Silver supported on organo-modified halloysite nanotubes (Ag-HNTX/T) were fabricated through three steps of modifications; (i) functionalization of pristine halloysite nanotubes (HNT) with dicarboxylic acids, namely succinic acid (SA), oxalic acid (OX), or sebacic acid (SB), (ii) addition of tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA), and finally (iii) incorporation of silver particles (Ag). The modification with dicarboxylic acid and TEPA on HNT was proven by the presence of COOH and NH functional groups in the FTIR spectra. Upon introduction of Ag particles on the organo-modified HNT, the Ag-HNTSA/T sample exhibits UV-DRS absorption at 460 nm, corresponding to the presence of Ag particles with the average size of 12.1 ± 6.5 nm. The HRTEM result reveals that Ag particles are deposited on the surface and inside the lumen of HNT, which is in-line with slight decrease in SBET attributed to some pore blocking in Ag-HNTSA/T. The catalytic activity of the fabricated Ag-HNTX/T (X = SA, OX or SB) was evaluated through the borohydride-assisted degradation of organic contaminants, i.e. methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB), p-nitrophenol (p-NP), and bromocresol green (BG). The Ag-HNTX/T catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity and the process follows the pseudo-first order kinetics. The Ag-HNTX/T possesses sustainable catalytic performance up to 15 recycled applications.

Designing a pH-responsive drug delivery system for the release of black-carrot anthocyanins loaded in halloysite nanotubes for cancer treatment

Anthocyanins extracted from black-carrot were encapsulated into halloysite nanotubes (HNT) as a potential carrier for the first time. Anthocyanins were loaded into HNT under vacuum conditions. TEM images indicated the successful entrance of anthocyanins into the lumen of HNT. Anthocyanins loading efficiency was determined to be 4% using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). XRD patterns showed that all reflections shifted to higher values for HNT loaded with anthocyanins compared to pure HNT which indicates reduced d-value of the crystalline forms. In vitro release of anthocyanins was studied under gastrointestinal conditions using the pH-differential method. The drug release from HNT was modeled and based on R2 values, the Korsmeyer-Peppas model was introduced as the best model predicting the release behavior. Cytotoxic effects of the samples against MCF-7 human breast cancer and HT-29 colon cancer cell lines were evaluated using SRB assay. The cell viability was reduced by 2 folds against anthocyanins-loaded HNT compared to pure anthocyanins in both cell lines. Anthocyanins-loaded HNT is suggested as a promising pH-responsive drug delivery system for the treatment of cancer.

Hybrid Halloysite Nanotubes as Smart Carriers for Corrosion Protection.

Novel hybrid halloysite nanotubes (HHNTs) were developed and used as smart carriers for corrosion protection of steel. For this purpose, as-received halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were loaded with a corrosion inhibitor, imidazole (IM), by vacuum encapsulation. In the next step, a layer by layer technique was employed to intercalate another inhibitor, dodecylamine (DDA), in the polyelectrolyte multilayers of polyethylenimine and sulfonated polyether ether ketone, leading to the formation of HHNTs. During this process, IM (5 wt %) was successfully encapsulated into the lumen of HNTs, while DDA (0.4 wt %) was effectively intercalated into the polyelectrolyte layers. Later, the HHNTs (3 wt %) were thoroughly dispersed into the epoxy matrix to develop smart hybrid self-healing polymeric coatings designated as hybrid coatings. For a precise evaluation, epoxy coatings containing as-received HNTs (3 wt %) without any loading denoted to as reference coatings and modified coatings containing HNTs loaded with IM-loaded HNTs (3 wt %) were also developed. A comparative analysis elucidates that the hybrid coatings demonstrate decent thermal stability, improved mechanical properties, and promising anticorrosion properties compared to the reference and modified coatings. The calculated corrosion inhibition efficiencies of the modified and hybrid coatings are 92 and 99.8%, respectively, when compared to the reference coatings. Noticeably, the superior anticorrosion properties of hybrid coatings can be attributed to the synergetic effect of both the inhibitors loaded into HHNTs and their efficient release in response to the localized pH change of the corrosive medium. Moreover, IM shows an active release in both acidic and basic media, which makes it suitable for the protection of steel at the early stages of damage, while DDA being efficiently released in the acidic medium may contribute to impeding the corrosion activity at the later stages of deterioration. The tempting properties of hybrid coatings demonstrate the beneficial role of the development of novel HHNTs and their use as smart carriers in the polymeric matrix for corrosion protection of steel.

Modification of halloysite nanotubes with xanthene dyes and their application in luminescent polymer nanocomposites

In this study, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were modified with three xanthene dyes and subsequently utilized for the fabrication of luminescent polymer nanocomposites. Two different sets of dyes (rhodamine B, rhodamine 6G, and fluorescein) were chosen because of their ability to interact differently with HNTs. Rhodamines B and 6G were adsorbed on the negatively charged external surface of HNTs due to their cationic nature, while fluorescein was infiltrated into the positively charged nano-size lumen of HNTs. The influence of the HNTs substrate on photoluminescence (PL) of the dyes in the polystyrene matrix was investigated. An enhancement in the PL intensity of fluorescein by a factor of 8 was observed upon its encapsulation into lumens of HNTs. On the other hand, the adsorption of rhodamines on HNTs led to a decrease in their PL intensity. A homogenous dispersion of the dye molecules achieved at nanoscale introduced luminescence properties in the polymer nanocomposites. The robust protocol for the modification of halloysites with organic chromophores provides a straightforward way to distribute the dye molecules in a polymer matrix and to incorporate luminescent properties into different polymer matrices.

Loading and Sustained Release of Benzyl Ammonium Chloride (BAC) in Nano-Clays.

Benzyl ammonium chloride (BAC) is a broad-spectrum bactericide, but vulnerable to leaching by water. In this paper, halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and montmorillonite (MMT) were used as drug carriers to load BAC, in order to achieve good anti-mildew activity and long-term sustained release properties. The HNT and MMT nano-composites were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption. XRD results showed that BAC intercalated the interlayer of MMT, and expanded the interlayer spacing from 1.15 nm to 1.75 nm. Pore analysis showed that BAC decreased the cavity of halloysite nanotubes to a certain extent, which indicated that BAC loaded inside the lumen of HNT successfully. TG analysis showed that the loading capacity of MMT to BAC was higher than HNT. The accelerated-release experiments revealed both two clays have significant sustained-release effects on BAC, and the releasing rate of HNT was relatively lower. Both HNT and MMT have promising application prospects as sustained-release carriers. The inhibition test showed that BAC in nano-clay has good anti-mildew resistance performance.

Pt-Cu Bimetallic Nanoparticles Loaded in the Lumen of Halloysite Nanotubes.

In this study, we demonstrate that Pt-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles with different compositions (Pt3Cu, PtCu, PtCu3) can be loaded in the lumen of halloysite nanotube (HNT) via a simple one-pot reduction. Increasing the pH of metallic precursor (H2PtCl6 and CuCl2)/HNT solutions enhances the dissociation of H2PtCl6, advancing the association of [PtCl6]2- with the positively charged inner surface (Al-OH) of HNT. Moreover, the shrinkage of bond length from Pt-Cl in [PtCl6]2- to Pt-O in [PtCl4(OH)2]2- due to pH-modulated ligand exchange may also assist Pt(IV) being trapped inside the halloysite. In the meantime, Cu(II) cations may complex with Pt(IV) anions via electrostatic force that would help the formation of Pt-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles inside the halloysite. The obtained PtCu3@HNT system shows a significantly enhanced catalytic performance in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by sodium borohydride, with a mass activity approximating 60 times higher than that of unloaded Pt nanoparticles. The high catalytic efficiency can be maintained after thermal treatment at 200 or 400 °C.

Effect of inhibitor-loaded halloysite nanotubes on active corrosion protection of polybenzoxazine coatings on mild steel

The inhibitor-loaded halloysite nanotubes (HNT) were incorporated into polybenzoxazine coating for active corrosion protection of carbon steel. The morphology and structure of HNT nanocontainers were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. The amount of benzotriazole (BTA) loaded in the lumen of HNT was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The release behaviour of inhibitors was characterized by UV–vis spectrometry. It is found that the HNT possessed an acid-responsive release property of BTA. The corrosion resistance performance of polybenzoxazine coatings doped with inhibitor-loaded halloysite nanotubes was investigated by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement and scratch test. The results demonstrated that the anti-corrosion performance of polybenzoxazine coatings was effectively improved by doping with these inhibitor-loaded halloysite nanotubes.

Rod in Tube: A Novel Nanoplatform for Highly Effective Chemo-Photothermal Combination Therapy toward Breast Cancer.

Gold nanorods (GNRs) and doxorubicin (DOX) were loaded into the lumen of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) via a rapid synthesis process (2 min) and physical adsorption. The targeting molecules of folic acid (FA) are then conjugated to HNTs via reactions with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The formation of GNRs in HNTs was verified by different techniques. Au-HNT-DOX@BSA-FA shows a maximum temperature of 26.8 °C rising after 8 min of 808 nm laser irradiation under 0.8 W cm-2. The functionalized HNTs exhibited stronger chemotherapeutic effect under laser irradiation as the laser could promote the release of DOX and temperature rising. Au-HNT-DOX@BSA-FA-treated MCF-7 cells exhibited a survival rate of 7.4% after laser irradiation. Au-HNT-DOX@BSA-FA treatment does not induce obvious toxicity in blood biochemistry, liver, and kidney function in normal mice. In vivo chemo-photothermal treatment toward 4T1-bearing mice suggested that Au-HNT-DOX@BSA-FA exhibited remarkable tumor-targeted efficiency and good controlled release effect for DOX. Also, the nanoparticles exhibited a rapid photothermal performance and an ability to inhibit the growth of tumors. Because of the synergistic effect of chemical-photothermal therapy, the toxicity of DOX to normal tissues was reduced on the premise of ensuring the same curative effect with a low dosage of 0.32 mg kg-1. This novel chemo-photothermal therapy nanoplatform provided a safe, rapid, effective, and cheap choice for the treatment of breast tumors both in vitro and in vivo.

Curing epoxy resin with anhydride in the presence of halloysite nanotubes: the contradictory effects of filler concentration

Epoxy resins can be cured with a wide variety of curing agents such as amines and anhydrides, but anhydride curing would be more favorable for research purpose because of epoxy-anhydride curing taking place slowly at room temperature. Incorporation of natural nanosized minerals into epoxy is of environmental importance. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) display chemical properties similar to those of silica and alumina, and hydroxyl groups positioned somewhere in between or at the edge of HNTs layers give them potential to participate in epoxy ring-opening. Curing epoxy/anhydride systems containing HNTs at various concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 wt.% based on 100 parts by weight of epoxy) via nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry at three heating rates (5, 10 and 15 °C.min−1) is discussed here to study the effect of HNTs concentration on epoxy-anhydride curing reactions. The extent of crosslinking reaction was promoted at 0.5 and 1 wt.% of HNTs as a result of participation of hydroxyl groups of HNTs in epoxide ring-opening, while at 2 wt.% of HNTs a hindered curing was the case, which has been speculated on account of probable deactivation of anhydride curing agent by the internal surface of HNTs pursued by anhydride molecules diffusion into the lumen of HNTs.

Selective Fabrication of Barium Carbonate Nanoparticles in the Lumen of Halloysite Nanotubes

Barium carbonate (BaCO3) materials with the controllable morphology of nanoparticles were selectively loaded into the lumen halloysite nanotubes (abbreviated as Hal) by a urease assisted catalytic implementation strategy. The Hal mineral was pre-treated through leaching by hydrochloric acid (abbreviated as A-Hal), resulting in increased defect sites and zeta potential. The negatively charged urease was loaded inside the positively charged A-Hal lumen, and then through the decomposition of urea catalyzed by urease to produce carbonate ions and ammonia. When Ba2+ diffused in, BaCO3 particles were selectively synthesized in the lumen of A-Hal, the pore channels of A-Hal effectively controlled the growth and aggregation of BaCO3 nanocrystals and their geometrical morphology. The obtained BaCO3/A-Hal-T was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetry (DSC-TG). The BaCO3/A-Hal-T may provide a candidate for potential applications.