L-arginine-grafted halloysite nanotubes as a sustainable excipient for antifouling composite coating

Halloysite Nanotubes (Hal) are aluminosilicate nanotubes that have been commonly used as reinforcements in different coatings. Their tunable surface chemistry allows them to be a receptive surface for the attachment of various molecules. Amino acids are a particular class of biomolecules known for their zwitterionic nature. This zwitterionic nature allows them to have excellent antifouling abilities. In this study, Hal has been used as sup-ports for the attachment of L-Arginine (Arg), which is a zwitterion. The amino acid-functionalized Hal has been further characterized using SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, DSC, and Zeta Potential Analysis. This amino acid-functionalized Hal was compared with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) modified Hal (A-Hal) and pris-tine Hal. The % immobilization of amino acid loaded on Hal functionalized with divinyl sulfone was the highest (89.31%). The antifouling ability of the nanocomposite was tested against Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a model foulant while comparing it with Hal and A-Hal. Arg-DVS-A-Hal showed the highest antifouling ability (84.5%). This study was also conducted with variable concentrations of BSA and nano supports, pH, and tem-perature. Through this study, it was found that amino acid-functionalized Hal could be used as a potential antifouling excipient in various coatings.

Automated summary

Halloysite Nanotubes (Hal) are used as reinforcements with tunable surface chem-is try for the attachment of various molecules. This study focused on using Hal as a support for amino acid attachment, specifically L-arginine. The amino acid-functionalized Hal showed high immobilization and exhibited excellent antifouling abilities against Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a model foulant.