Effect of hydroxy-aluminium species on the sorption and interlayering of albumin onto montmorillonite

Abstract Proteins interact with soluble OH–Al species or Al precipitation products forming organo-mineral complexes with different chemical and physico-chemical properties. We studied the effect of pH, cation saturating the clays, presence of OH–Al species and order of component (OH–Al species, albumin and montmorillonite) addition on the amounts of proteinic molecules adsorbed on montmorillonite and the possible interlayering of OH–Al–protein complexes. Albumin molecules were very well intercalated into the interlayers of Na-montmorillonites, but very poor or no intercalation was observed for Mg-saturated montmorillonite and for an Al(OH) x -montmorillonite (chlorite-like) complex. We have found that the amount of albumin sorbed on the external and interlamellar spaces of montmorillonite in the presence of OH–Al species was influenced by the sequence of addition of albumin (Alb), OH–Al species (Al) and montmorillonite (Mt). Complexes were prepared by mixing: (i) Al+Mt before Alb; (ii) Al+Alb before Mt; and (iii) Alb+Mt before Al. When albumin was added to montmorillonite before OH–Al species (Alb+Mt before Al complexes) proteinic molecules were able to penetrate more easily into the interlayers of montmorillonite. On the contrary, when OH–Al species were initially added to the clay (Al+Mt before Alb complexes), they were previously interlayered and consequently prevented the intercalation of the proteinic molecules. Finally, when OH–Al species and proteins were added to the clay as a mixture (Al+Alb before Mt complexes), large OH–Al–protein polymers formed, which were only partially intercalated into the interlamellar spaces of the clay. In all the complexes, the amounts of proteinic molecules sorbed usually increased by increasing the pH.