Iran makes nanotechnology breakthrough

Iranian researchers have successfully lessened the toxicity of nanoclays, producing material that can be used for medical applications. Nanoclays are used in various industries, including the polymer and medical industries. They are also applied in producing gas absorbents and drug delivery carriers. Industrial clays are generally modified using Alkyl ammonium and alkyl amines, which are considered toxic compounds. Hence, their use particularly in medicine is limited. According to Iranian Nanotechnology Initiatives, however, a researcher from Amir Kabir University of Technology has been able to modify nanoclays in a way that makes the material appropriate for medical uses. "The non-toxicity of the modified clay, in which a layer of clay is present between each two kitosan molecules, has been tested in laboratory cultures," says Kourosh Kabiri, the lead inventor of the product. The modified nanoclays allows the production of polymers with improved mechanical, permeability and thermal effects as the intercalation period has been reduced to around 33 minutes and intralayer thickness has been increased to 12-24 angstroms, according to a study published in Iranian Polymer.