Synthesis and Antibacterial Evaluation of Chlorhexidine- and Triclosan-Impregnated Kaolinite Nanocomposites

Aruzhan Alimbek, Zhanar Bekissanova, Bayansulu Otegenova, Ardak B. Jumagaziyeva, Bagashar B. Zhaksybay, Yana Zhumadilova, Alyiya Ospanova

2025

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.3390/ma18010174
Data confidence 85 high
How this score is calculated

It is built from checkable properties of the record itself: whether the article has a DOI, how many independent sources confirmed its data, whether the required fields are filled in, and how recent the latest confirmation is. Disagreement between sources and a missing identifier lower it. A value of 80 or above means the record was published without further checking; 60 to 79 means it is published at reduced confidence, with a manual check advisable. A record verified by an editor by hand is never pushed below 90 by a recalculation. This scores our data about the article, not the article itself.

Abstract

Clay minerals are actively used to obtain a bioactive composite. Kaolinite, as a representative of clay minerals, possesses unique properties essential for the creation of biocomposite materials. This mineral, characterized by its distinctive layered structure, is chemically inert, highly stable, thermally resistant, eco-friendly, biocompatible, and non-toxic. Kaolinite, which plays the role of a carrier in this work, has such properties and can be the basis for biologically active composites. Antibacterial composites, namely, kaolinite/chlorhexidine and kaolinite/triclosan, were synthesized by impregnation of calcined and non-calcined samples of natural kaolinite with the antibacterial agents chlorhexidine and triclosan. The structure, morphology, elemental composition, and mineralogical characteristics of the natural and synthesized kaolinite/chlorhexidine (KAO/CHX) and kaolinite/triclosan (KAO/TCS) composites were investigated by methods of analysis such as X-ray diffraction, FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The calcined kaolinite/chlorhexidine composite at 500 °C (KAO500°C/CHX) exhibited a higher content of antiseptics compared to the non-calcined kaolinite composite. The antibacterial activities of the kaolinite/chlorhexidine and kaolinite/triclosan composites were investigated against Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis and Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli strains by the well diffusion method and dilution method. The highest zone of inhibition was observed against Staphylococcus epidermidis (30.00 ± 0.00 mm and 30.67 ± 0.58 mm) by applying KAO/TCS and KAO500°C/TCS via the well diffusion method. The minimum bactericidal concentration of the kaolinite/TCS composite was 15.63 μg/mL for Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae.