Nanoclay-based drug delivery vehicle has acquired immense recognition owing to its unique physico-chemical properties. In this study, tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) drug was intercalated into the interlayer gallery of montmorillonite (Mt) clay by a cation exchange process. The intercalated nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infraredspectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray and thermogravimetric study. It was evident from the characterization that TCH drug was successfully intercalated into the interlayer gallery of Mt clay. These clay-based formulations exhibited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on analyses via zone inhibitionmethods. An in-vitro drug release study was performed in phosphate buffer at physiological temperature and interestingly it exhibited sustained and controlled release of TCH from the nanocomposites, after an initial burst-out effect. Overall, this study showed that these nanocomposite materials have immense potential for use in controlled drug delivery strategies for antibacterial treatment.

In the past few years, there has been a growing interest in materials that show topological phases and macro-scale quantum correlations. Innovative measurement techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution are necessary to study these materials and develop technological applications using them. Nitrogen vacancy centres in diamond offer the unique possibility of non-perturbative nanoscale sensing with high sensitivity. Additionally, nitrogenvacancy centres are also capable of simulating the Hamiltonian dynamics of quantum materials. In this review, we discuss the frontiers of applying nitrogen vacancy-based quantum sensors for imaging and simulating novel quantum materials.