Emerging Nanoclay Composite for Effective Hemostasis

Abstract Uncontrolled bleeding following trauma is associated with a high risk of death. Here, an emerging kaolinite nanoclay composite (iron oxide‐kaolinite, α‐Fe2O3‐kaolinKAc) is developed, based on the natural hemostat hematitum used in traditional Chinese medicine to effectively control hemorrhage. α‐Fe2O3‐kaolinKAc stops bleeding in ≈183 ± 16 s and exhibits higher hemostatic activity than the related compounds FeOOH‐kaolinKAc (298 ± 14 s), γ‐Fe2O3‐kaolinKAc (212 ± 11 s), and Fe3O4‐kaolinKAc (218 ± 15 s). This rapid effect is attributed to efficient absorption of the fluid in blood, activation of blood platelets, and induction of the coagulation cascade by kaolinite and the aggregation of red blood cells induced by α‐Fe2O3. α‐Fe2O3‐kaolinKAc shows slight hemolysis (<0.11%) as compared to kaolinite (30%), which accelerates wound healing. The biocompatibility, hemostatic activity, and low cost of α‐Fe2O3‐kaolinKAc make it a safe and effective agent for preventing massive blood loss after traumatic injury.