We investigated the properties of collagen type I-talc intercalated nanocomposites using different techniques. Understanding the conformational changes of collagen induced by clay is noticeably lacking, which is pivotal for understanding the structure of collagen-clay hybrid nanocomposites. We aim to investigate the influence of talc clay minerals on the microstructure of collagen type I molecules. Our main goal is to understand the interaction between talc and collagen molecules and to elucidate the microstructure–property relation of intercalated hybrid nanocomposites. The FT-IR spectrum of collagen type I-talc confirmed the presence of collagen amide bands and talc silicate bonds. Also, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) result showed that the addition of talc to the matrix could increase the denaturation temperature (Td = 40.8 °C) compared to pure collagen (Td = 19 °C). The fluorescence intensity increased in collagen type I-talc nanocomposites, indicating that the interaction of talc with collagen chains in collagen type I-talc dispersion varies the micro-environment of the tyrosine amino acids in the collagen fibrils and its fluorescence. We also analyzed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in total fluorescence yield (TFY) and total energy yield (TEY) modes of pure collagen and collagen type I-talc nanocomposites prepared at different concentrations of talc and at different temperatures (4 °C, 8 °C, and 14 °C). We have found that the synthesis conditions have a considerable effect on the local atomic environments of nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen atoms in collagen type I-talc nanocomposites. These results are of significance for developing new applications of talc and collagen-based biomaterials in different fields, such as cellular and molecular biology, and drug delivery that enhances the optical signals are needed.
