Montmorillonite as an Anti-Tuberculosis Rifampicin Drug Carrier: DFT and Experimental Study

A hybrid of montmorillonite (Mnt) and rifampicin (RIF) was synthesized and the structure and stability of the drug carrier system clarified. Density functional theory calculations involving dispersion corrections (DFT-D3) were performed to characterize interactions acting in the interlayer space of montmorillonite intercalated with rifampicin. The structure and stability of the RIF-Mnt intercalated complex were determined. Calculations revealed the deformation of the molecular structure of rifampicin after intercalation into the Mnt interlayer space due to the clay environment. The ansa chain of RIF was bent in the interlayer space compared with the structure of the RIF molecule in the monocrystal. RIF was keyed into the Mnt surface by means of numerous hydrogen bonds of weak to moderate strength. The calculated vibrational spectrum from ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) was in good agreement with the FTIR measured spectra and helped to analyze the overlapped vibrational bands. Based on analysis of structural stability, theoretical calculations revealed that Mnt is a suitable drug carrier for delayed release of the RIF drug. Batch adsorption experiments showed the large adsorption capacity of montmorillonite for RIF.