Abstract:
The present invention provides an exfoliated clay/surfactant complex for inhibiting microorganisms, viruses or plant pests. The weight ratio of the exfoliated clay to the surfactant can range from 99/1 to 1/99. Preferably, the exfoliated clay is an inorganic layered clay on a nano scale and the surfactant is cationic, nonionic, anionic or amphoteric.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an exfoliated clay/surfactant complex, and particularly to an exfoliated clay/surfactant complex for inhibiting microorganisms, viruses or plant pests. Therefore, the present invention is suitable for fields including agriculture, fisheries and soil remediation. 
         [0003]    2. Related Prior Arts 
         [0004]    Most of drugs or materials for inhibiting microorganisms or viruses, for example, pesticides sprayed on growing plants or preservatives applied to agricultural and livestock products, are not only toxic to human bodies but also ruinous to the environment. 
         [0005]    In order to inhibit growth of microorganisms and viruses, proper materials having smaller volume than them (for example, on a nano scale) can be used. Nano silicate platelets (NSPs) achieved by exfoliating clay are also considered due to their high aspect ratio (averagely, 100×100×1 nm3), high surface areas (700 to 800 m 2 /g) and strong charges (ca. 20,000 ions per platelet). However, because of these special characteristics, nanosilicate platelets have different electrical properties at different pH values. Below the isoelectric point (IEP=pH 6.4), surfaces of the NSPs are electrically positive and aggregation will occur. That is, the NSPs are not suitable to be used alone as effects thereof could be influenced by pH values. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of applying NSPs to inhibiting microorganisms, viruses or plant pests without aggregation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The object of the present invention is to provide an exfoliated clay/surfactant complex which can effectively inhibit growth of microorganisms, viruses or plant pests without self-aggregation. 
         [0008]    For the exfoliated clay/surfactant complex of the present invention, the weight ratio of the exfoliated clay to surfactant ranges from 99/1 to 1/99, preferably from 99/1 to 50/50, and more preferably from 99/1 to 90/10. The exfoliated clay is preferably inorganic layered clay on the nano scale; and more preferably nanosilicate platelets (NSPs). The surfactant can be a cationic surfactant, nonionic surfactant, anionic surfactant or amphoteric surfactant; preferably the surfactant is a cationic, nonionic surfactant or anionic surfactant; and more preferably a cationic surfactant. The cationic surfactant can be a quaternary ammonium salt of a fatty amine having 12 to 32 carbon atoms or a quaternary ammonium chloride of a fatty amine having 12 to 32 carbon atoms. The nonionic surfactant can be octylphenol polyethoxylate or polyoxyethylene alkyl ether. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the cationic surfactant is ammonium chloride of tallow having 12 to 18 carbon atoms or ammonium chloride of hydrogenated tallow, quaternary ammonium salt of octadecyl fatty amine, octadecyl ammonium chloride or alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride; and more preferably alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the nonionic surfactant is polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearylcetyl ether, sorbitan esters of fatty acids (for example, Span® series of MERCK), Polysorbate (for example, Tween® series of MERCK), alkylphenol ethoxylates, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs), or fatty alcohol ethoxylates. 
         [0011]    The surfactant suitable for the present invention is exemplified in ATTACHMENT 1, which shows good effects of inhibiting bacteria or plant pests. 
         [0012]    The method for producing the exfoliated clay/surfactant complex of the present invention is: mix the exfoliated clay and the surfactant in a solvent for complexing. 
         [0013]    The exfoliated clay and the surfactant are preferably respectively dissolved in the solvent and then mixed. The solvent is preferably water. 
         [0014]    The exfoliated clay/surfactant complex of the present invention can be dissolved in a solvent and then mixed with plants, for example, spraying on plants or soil, or mixing in water. The complex can be in water to form a solution having a concentration of about 0.01 to 1 wt %. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows the procedure of Example 1. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  shows the procedure of Example 5. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  shows the effects of the NSPs/surfactant complexes of Examples 2, 5 and 8 in inhibiting growth of bacteria. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  shows the effects of the NSPs/surfactant complexes with different weight ratios in inhibiting growth of bacteria. 
       
    
    
     ATTACHMENTS 
       [0019]    ATTACHMENT 1 exemplifies the surfactant suitable for the present invention. 
         [0020]    ATTACHMENT 2 shows the surfactants and NSPs/surfactant weight ratios of the Examples. 
         [0021]    ATTACHMENT 3 shows the results of the NSPs/surfactant complexes in inhibiting plant pests. 
         [0022]    ATTACHMENT 4 compares the results of banana shoots applied with and without the NSPs/surfactant complex of Example 5. 
         [0023]    ATTACHMENT 5 compares the results of guava applied with and without the NSPs/surfactant complex of Example 5. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    The materials used in the present invention include: 
         [0025]    1. Ablumine 1214: Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, a kind of ammonium chloride of tallow having 12 to 18 carbon atoms or ammonium chloride of hydrogenated tallow, a cationic surfactant, purchased from Taiwan Surfactant Co. 
         [0026]    2. SINOPOL 1830: Polyoxyethylene stearylcetyl ether, a kind of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a nonionic surfactant, purchased from SINO-JAPAN CHEMICAL. 
         [0027]    3. SDS: Sodium dodecyl sulfate, an anionic surfactant. 
         [0028]    4. Nanosilicate platelets (NSPs): Referring to the following description or U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,299 B2, No. 7,094,815 B2, or No. 7,125,916 B2, Pub. No. 2005-0239943-A1, or Ser. No. 11/464,495. 
       [Preparing Nanosilicate Platelets (NSPs)] 
       [0029]    Step (a): Sodium montmorillonite (Na + -MMT) (10 g, 11.5meq, purchased from Nanocor Ind. Co.) is previously dispersed in water (1 L, 80° C.) in a beaker and swelled by vigorously stirring for 4 hours to form an earth-colored uniform dispersion. 
         [0030]    Step (b): In a reactor, p-cresol (27.2 g) and poly(propylene glycol)-diamine (Jeffamine D-2000, 757.6 g) are dissolved in toluene (200 ml) and the mixture is heated to 90° C. for 3 hours. Formaldehyde (37 wt %, 61.4 g) is then added and the temperature is raised to 130° C. After stirring continuously for five hours, a viscous product, amine-termination Mannich oligomer (AMO), is obtained. The gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis shows three major peaks at Mw 3,100, Mw 6,200 and Mw 9,200. Titration for amine of the AMO indicates 0.4 meq/g for primary amine, 0.56 meq/g for secondary amine, and zero for tertiary amine. Then the AMO (57.5 g) is dissolved in water and mixed with concentrated hydrochloric acid (35 wt %, 36 g) at 80° C. for 30 minutes to acidify the AMO. The acidified AMO is then added into the Na + -MMT dispersion of Step (a). After the mixture is stirred for five hours, a solution of AMO/Clay is prepared. 
         [0031]    Step (c): Buffer solutions with different pH values are added into the solution of AMO/Clay, which then becomes cream color and viscous. 
         [0032]    Step (d): To the viscous solution, ethanol (7.5 L) is added and filtered. The precipitate is then mixed with ethanol (10 L) and NaOH (9.2 g). The mixture is then filtered to obtain a cream-color, semi-opaque mixture of AMO/Clay which has an organic-to-inorganic ratio of about 40/60. 
         [0033]    Step (e): the above mixture of AMO/Clay is added into ethanol (10 L) and NaOH. Water (10 L) and toluene (10 L) are then sequentially added and mixed well with the mixture. After one day, the mixture is divided into three layers wherein the upper layer is toluene containing the AMO, the middle layer is ethanol, and the lower layer is water containing nanosilicate platelets (referred to as NSP103S). 
         [0034]    The natural or synthetic clay suitable for preparing the NSPs also includes: 
         [0035]    a. Bentonite: synthetic layered silicate clay, for example, SWN of CO-OP Chemical Co. which has a cationic exchange capacity (CEC) of 0.67 mequiv/g. 
         [0036]    b. Synthetic fluorine mica, for example, SOMASIF ME-100 of CO-OP Chemical Co. which has a CEC of 1.20 mequiv/g. 
         [0037]    c. Laponite: synthetic layered silicate clay having a CEC of 0.69 mequiv/g. 
         [0038]    d. [M II   1-x M III   x (OH) 2 ] intra [A n− ·nH 2 O] inter : synthetic layered silicate clay, wherein M II  indicates the two-valent metal ion, for example, Mg, Ni, Cu, or Zn; M III  indicates the three-valent metal ion, for example, Al, Cr, Fe, V, or Ga; A n−  indicates the anion, for example, CO 3   2− , NO 3   2− ; the anions have an anionic exchange capacity (AEC) from 2.00 to 4.00 mequiv/g. 
         [0039]    The Examples described below show the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which illustrate, but not limit, the scope of the present invention. 
       EXAMPLE 1 
       [0040]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 0.31 g) and deionic water (89.69 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (0.033 wt %). 
         [0041]    Step (B): To another beaker, Ablumine 1214 (50 wt %, 5.94 g) and deionic water (4.06 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of Ablumine 1214 (29.7 wt %). 
         [0042]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/Ablumine 1214 having a weight ratio of 1/99 is obtained (referred to as NSS1-D-01) (3 wt %). 
       EXAMPLE 2   
       [0043]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 29.4 g) and deionic water (60.6 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (3.2 wt %). 
         [0044]    Step (B): To another beaker, Ablumine 1214 (50 wt %, 0.3 g) and deionic water (9.7 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of Ablumine 1214 (1.5 wt %). 
         [0045]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/Ablumine 1214 having a weight ratio of 95/5 is obtained (referred to as NSS1-D-95) (3 wt %). The procedure is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       EXAMPLE 3  
       [0046]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 30.6 g) and deionic water (59.4 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (3.3 wt %). 
         [0047]    Step (B): To another beaker, Ablumine 1214 (50 wt %, 0.06 g) and deionic water (9.94 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of Ablumine 1214 (0.3 wt %). 
         [0048]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/Ablumine 1214 having a weight ratio of 99/1 is obtained (referred to as NSS1-D-99) (3 wt %). 
       EXAMPLE 4 
       [0049]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 0.31 g) and deionic water (89.69 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (0.033 wt %). 
         [0050]    Step (B): To another beaker, SINOPOL 1830 (100 wt %, 2.97 g) and deionic water (7.03 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of SINOPOL 1830 (29.7 wt %). 
         [0051]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/SINOPOL 1830 having a weight ratio of 1/99 is obtained (referred to as NSS2-D-01) (3 wt %). 
       EXAMPLE 5  
       [0052]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 29.4 g) and deionic water (60.6 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (3.2 wt %) 
         [0053]    Step (B): To another beaker, SINOPOL 1830 (100 wt %, 0.15 g) and deionic water (9.85 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of SINOPOL 1830 (1.5 wt %). 
         [0054]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/SINOPOL 1830 having a weight ratio of 95/5 is obtained (referred to as NSS2-D-95) (3 wt %). The procedure is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       EXAMPLE 6 
       [0055]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 30.6 g) and deionic water (59.4 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (3.3 wt %) 
         [0056]    Step (B): To another beaker, SINOPOL 1830 (100 wt %, 0.03 g) and deionic water (9.97 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of SINOPOL 1830 (0.3 wt %). 
         [0057]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/SINOPOL 1830 having a weight ratio of 99/1 is obtained (referred to as NSS2-D-99) (3 wt %). 
       EXAMPLE 7  
       [0058]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 0.31 g) and deionic water (89.69 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (0.033 wt %). 
         [0059]    Step (B): To another beaker, SDS (100 wt %, 2.97 g) and deionic water (7.03 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of SDS (29.7 wt %). 
         [0060]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/SINOPOL 1830 having a weight ratio of 1/99 is obtained (referred to as NSS3-A-01) (3 wt %). 
       EXAMPLE 8  
       [0061]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 29.4 g) and deionic water (60.6 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (3.2 wt %). 
         [0062]    Step (B): To another beaker, SDS (100 wt %, 0.15 g) and deionic water (9.85 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of SDS (1.5 wt %). 
         [0063]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/SDS having a weight ratio of 95/5 is obtained (referred to as NSS3-A-95) (3 wt %). 
       EXAMPLE 9  
       [0064]    Step (A): To a beaker, NSP103S (9.7 wt %, 30.6 g) and deionic water (59.4 g) are added and the beaker is shaken at room temperature to prepare a solution of NSP 103 (3.3 wt %). 
         [0065]    Step (B): To another beaker, SDS (100 wt %, 0.03 g) and deionic water (9.97 g) are added and mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 20 minutes to prepare a solution of SDS (0.3 wt %). 
         [0066]    Step (C): The solutions of Step (A) and Step (B) are then mixed at room temperature for one hour and a composite of NSP/SDS having a weight ratio of 99/1 is obtained (referred to as NSS3-A-99) (3 wt %). 
         [0067]    The surfactants and the NSP/surfactant weight ratios of the above Examples are shown in ATTACHMENT 2. 
         [0068]    In Step (A) and Step (B), the NSPs and the surfactant are preferably diluted to the same concentration so that the effect of modifying NSPs is better. 
       [Tests for Inhibiting Growth of Bacteria] 
       [0069]    1. Selecting  Escherichia coli.    
         [0070]    2. Preparing the standard solution of bacteria. 
         [0071]    The solution of bacteria incubated overnight is added into a liquid medium of fresh Luria-Bertani (LB) and is continuously incubated for three hours. The volumetric ratio of the solution of bacteria to the liquid medium is 1/100. Absorbance of the incubated solution at OD 600  is measured with a spectrophotometer and the solution having OD 600  ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 is selected for the standard solution. 
         [0072]      FIG. 3  shows the effects of the NSPs/surfactant complexes of Examples 2, 5 and 8 in inhibiting growth of bacteria. The NSPs/surfactant complexes have a weight ratio of 99/5 and a concentration 0.1 wt %. The results indicate that the complex (NSS1-D-95) of Example 2 including the cationic surfactant performs the best effect when the bacteria are electrically negative. 
         [0073]      FIG. 4  shows the effects of the NSPs/surfactant complexes with different weight ratios in inhibiting growth of bacteria. The results indicate that the NSPs/surfactant complexes with a weight ratio 50/50 (prepared from Examples 2 and 3, NSS1-D-50) perform better effects than that with a weight ratio 95/5 (Example 2, NSS1-D-95), in a concentration of 0.1 wt %. That is, more cationic surfactant facilitates inhibiting growth of bacteria. 
       [Tests for Inhibiting Plant Pests] 
       [0074]    The NSPs/nonionic surfactant complexes of Examples 4 to 6 are respectively mixed with alcohol in a weight ratio of 1:2. The mixture is diluted to 1,000 times and has a concentration 0.001 wt %. Then the solutions are sprayed on Terminalia boivinii covered with aphides. ATTACHMENT 3 shows that all the pests died after spraying once and then the trees grew well without pests. 
         [0075]    ATTACHMENTs 4 and 5 respectively compare the results of banana shoots and guava applied with (B) and without (A) the NSPs/surfactant complex of Example 5. The diluted solutions were 0.001 wt %. The picture (B) of ATTACHMENT 4 shows that the banana shoot sprayed with the solution grew obviously better than that shown in the picture (A). The concentrations and spraying frequencies could influence growing conditions. Compared to the picture (A) of ATTACHMENT 5, the picture (B) also shows that the guava sprayed with the solution grew faster, flourished leaves, bloomed and fruited more. The complex could also promote growth of vegetables such as bottle gourd. 
         [0076]    In addition, the dilutions of the exfoliated clay/surfactant complex according to the present invention can balance acidic soil and increase utilization thereof. In the present invention, the exfoliated clay/surfactant complex is similar to a virus in size, has a large specific surface area and adsorption ability, so that viruses, bacteria and pest ova can not proceed with fissiparity or hatch because they are embedded by the complex. 
         [0077]    The exfoliated clay/surfactant complex of the present invention are friendly to the environment and can be further used in other fields, for example, adsorbing pesticides, promoting aquaculture, treating waste water of agriculture or fishing, preserving agricultural products, deodorizing corrals or stalls, killing mosquitoes or flies, and cleaning objects or clothes.