Ginger intercalated sodium montmorillonite nano clay: assembly, characterization, and investigation antimicrobial properties

In this work, we have successfully incorporated ginger particles into the sodium montmorillonite (Na+-MMT) structure. A new nanoparticles (G-MMT) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-VIS-NIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Also, the antimicrobial properties of G-MMT nanoparticles were investigated using agar diffusion method. The results showed that the spherical particles of ginger were placed between the layers, and also slightly on the surface. Montmorillonite (MMT) layers, such as heat shields, protect the ginger from degradation. The results of antibacterial test showed that G-MMT inhibits 8 lethal types of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as one type of yeast. Due to the antibacterial properties of G-MMT and the fact that ginger is protected at high temperatures, this nanoparticle can have a suitable place in various applications.