Effect of amine functionalization of spherical MCM-41 and SBA-15 on controlled drug release

MCM-41 and SBA-15 silica materials with spherical morphology and different particle sizes were synthesized and modified by post-synthesis method with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). A comparative study of the adsorption and release of a model drug, ibuprofen, were carried out. The modified and drug loaded mesoporous materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, N₂ physisorption, thermal analysis, elemental analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. Surface modification with amino groups resulted in high degree of ibuprofen loading and slow rate of release for MCM-41, whereas it was the opposite for SBA-15. The adsorbed drug content and the delivery rate can be predetermined by the choice of mesoporous material with the appropriate structural characteristics and surface functionality.     

Syntheses of ordered mesoporous silica by new hybrid template

Ordered mesoporous silica with macroscopic shape has been prepared with a hybrid template of gel and poly(ethylene oxide)₁₀₆–poly(propylene oxide)₇₀–poly(ethylene oxide)₁₀₆ (pluronic F127) surfactant, where both water-soluble agar gel and pluronic F127 significantly affect the mesoporous structure and morphology of silica. The thermal analysis revealed the noticeable interaction between agar and F127, which contributes to the formation of homogenous hybrid template. In the hybrid template, agar gel contributed to the maintenance of morphology structure, while F127 was responsible for the formation of ordered porous structure in silica solids.     

Controlled drug release from bifunctionalized mesoporous silica

Serial of trimethylsilyl-carboxyl bifunctionalized SBA-15 (TMS/COOH/SBA-15) have been studied as carriers for controlled release of drug famotidine (Famo). To load Famo with large capacity, SBA-15 with high content of carboxyl groups was successfully synthesized by one-pot synthesis under the assistance of KCl. The mesostructure of carboxyl functionalized SBA-15 (COOH/SBA-15) could still be kept even though the content of carboxyl groups was up to 57.2%. Increasing carboxyl content could effectively enhance the loading capacity of Famo. Compared with pure SBA-15, into which Famo could be hardly adsorbed, the largest drug loading capacity of COOH/SBA-15 could achieve 396.9 mg/g. The release of Famo from mesoporous silica was studied in simulated intestine fluid (SIF, pH=7.4). For COOH/SBA-15, the release rate of Famo decreased with narrowing pore size. After grafting TMS groups on the surface of COOH/SBA-15 with hexamethyldisilazane, the release of Famo was greatly delayed with the increasing content of TMS groups.     

Bioresponsive nanogated ensemble based on structure-switchable aptamer directed assembly and disassembly of gold nanoparticles from mesoporous silica supports

By taking advantage of recent advances in aptamer biology and nanotechnology, a general approach was developed for the design and fabrication of bioresponsive controlled delivery system. It utilized the structure-switchable aptamer directed assembly and disassembly of gold nanoparticles from mesoporous silica supports, which enables the control of cargo release from the inside of the mesoporous nanoparticles specifically in the presence of target molecule.     

P(VPBA-DMAEA) as a pH-sensitive nanovalve for mesoporous silica nanoparticles based controlled release

A pH-sensitive controlled release system was proposed in this work, which consists of mesoporous silica nanoparticles(MSNs) functionalized on the pore outlets with poly(4-vinylphenybronic acid-co-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate) [P(VPBA-DMAEA)]. Four kinds of P(VPBA-DMAEA)-gated MSNs were synthesized and applied for the p H-sensitive controlled release. The results showed that P(VPBADMAEA) can work as a p H-sensitive nanovalve. The release behavior of the hybrid nanoparticles could be adjusted by changing the mole ratio of VPBA and DMAEA. With the increasing of the mole ratio of VPBA,the leakage of the entrapped molecules in the pores of MSNs could be decreased at neutral and alkaline conditions. By altering the p H of buffer from 4.0 to 8.0, the valve could be switched ‘‘on' and ‘‘off'reversibly. In addition, cells viability results indicated that these P(VPBA-DMAEA)-gated MSNs had good biocompatibility. We believe that these MSNs based p H-sensitive controlled release system will provide a promising nanodevice for sited release of drug delivery.     

A study of carboxylic-modified mesoporous silica in controlled delivery for drug famotidine

A series of pure silica MSU and carboxylic-modified MSU materials were prepared. The formation of mesoporous silica materials with terminal carboxylic groups on pore surface was performed by the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of cyano to carboxylic. Then their potential applications in controlled drug delivery carriers were investigated. Drug famotidine was selected as a model molecule out of the consideration of the terminal amino groups in its molecule. The adsorption experiments show significant adsorption of famotidine on the carboxylic-modified MSU materials. And, the functionalization level of carboxylic groups has been found to be the key factor affecting the adsorption capacities of the modified MSU materials for famotidine. Subsequently, three kinds of release fluids, including simulated gastric medium, simulated intestinal medium, and simulated body fluid, were used to test the famotidine release rate from the carboxylic-modified MSU material. Obvious delayed effect has been observed for the famotidine release from the carboxylic-modified mesoporous silica material under the in vitro assays.     

Dual pH and glucose sensitive gel gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug delivery

A low-molecular-weight gel with dual pH and glucose sensitivity was designed as the gate controller for mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to fabricate a smart drug delivery system. The smart gel caped MSNs could control the antidiabetic drug release via the detection of glucose and pH levels.     

Mixed surfactants-directed the mesoporous silica materials with various morphologies and structures

A new mixed surfactants system using alkyl carboxylic acids and quaternized poly[bis(2-chloroethyl)ether-alt-1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl] urea] (PEPU) as the co-template was used to synthesize mesoporous silica materials with various morphologies and structures, including flakes, regular spheres, nanoparticles, and tube-spheres. The cationic polymer connected the anionic surfactant micelle to the anionic polysilicate species to induce the synthesis of the mesoporous silica materials. The structure and property of the surfactant and the cationic polymer determined the formation of mesoporous silica, and also had a signification influence on the morphology and structure of the final materials. To further explore the possible formation mechanism of these mesoporous materials, zeta potential was utilized to evaluate the interaction between the anionic surfactant and the cationic co-template. In addition, the structure, morphology, and porosity of these materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N₂ adsorption-desorption measurements.     

Effect of synthesis time and treatment on porosity of mesoporous silica materials

Nitrogen adsorption at 77 K on mesoporous silica materials (MPS) with varying synthesis time and treatment conditions was investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also used to characterize the mesoporous materials. This study was performed at 6, 24 and 72-h synthesis times. It is shown that 6-h is not enough for complete formation of the MPS material and at least 24-h is necessary. The pore structure starts decaying for the 72-h synthesis time. The three-after-synthesis treatment conditions used were 1) washed, 2) washed and calcined and 3) directly calcined after synthesis. Ethanol/HCl mixtures were used for washing and calcinations were performed at 550°C. Among these samples, directly washed sample yields the lowest adsorption capacity while washed and calcined sample yields the highest adsorption capacity. Hence, it is concluded that washing stabilizes the structure before high temperature treatment.     

Preparation of hollow mesoporous silica nanorods for encapsulating and slowly releasing eugenol

Fragrances are widely used in many aspects of our lives.They cannot only make people happy,but also treat many diseases.However,excessively fast evaporation rate is one of the main obstacles to the use of spices.In this study,mesoporous silica nanorods(MSNRs) and hollow mesoporous silica nanorods(HMSNRs) were prepared to encapsulate eugenol.These two nano-fragrances were named eugenol@MSNRs and eugenol@HMSNRs,respectively.The morphologies,size,interior structures and pore performances of MSNRs a...     

Preparation of hollow mesoporous silica nanorods for encapsulating and slowly releasing eugenol

Fragrances are widely used in many aspects of our lives. They cannot only make people happy, but also treat many diseases. However, excessively fast evaporation rate is one of the main obstacles to the use of spices. In this study, mesoporous silica nanorods (MSNRs) and hollow mesoporous silica nanorods (HMSNRs) were prepared to encapsulate eugenol. These two nano-fragrances were named eugenol@MSNRs and eugenol@HMSNRs, respectively. The morphologies, size, interior structures and pore performances of MSNRs and HMSNRs. Besides, the performances of encapsulation and fragrance release of eugenol@MSNRs and eugenol@HMSNRs were compared and analyzed. The results showed that eugenol@HMSNRs encapsulated more fragrance and were faster to encapsulate compared with eugenol@MSNRs. Both the release rates of eugenol from eugenol@MSNRs and eugenol@HMSNRs were slow. But the eugenol was released from eugenol@MSNRs more slowly.     

Synthesis of mesoporous silica materials with ascorbic acid as template via sol-gel process

Mesoporous silica materials with pore diameters of 2-5 nm have been prepared using ascorbic acid as a nonsurfactant template or pore-forming agent in HCl-catalyzed sol-gel reactions of tetraethylorthosilicate,followed by removing the ascorbic acid compound by extraction with ethanol.Characterization results from nitrogen sorption isotherm,powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicate that the materials have large specific surface areas (e.g.1000 m2/g) and pore volumes (e.g.0.8 cm3/g).The rnesoporosity is arisen from interconnecting disordered wormlike channels and pores with relatively broad size distributions.As the ascorbic acid concentration is increased,the pore diameters and pore volumes of the materials increase.     

Functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles templated by pyridinium ionic liquid for hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug release application

Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for all cancer patients but this treatment poses many side effects due to lack of drug’s selectivity. To overcome this problem, utilizing a better and more effective delivery agent is the solution. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) emerged as a promising platform in development of drug delivery agent. This is due to its desirable properties such as tunable pores, large surface area, good biocompatibility and easy functionalization. Furthermore, these properties can be tuned through the utilization of alternative template such as pyridinium ionic liquid. Besides, by employing surface functionalization, the effectiveness of MSNs as drug delivery agent may also increase. This work reported the usage of 1-hexadecylpyridinium bromide ionic liquid as template for MSNs production and the surface of MSNs was then further functionalized via post – grafting method in order to obtain MSN – NH₂, MSN – SH and MSN – COOH as drug carrier, respectively. These functionalized MSNs were then used to study the drug loading and drug release of hydrophilic drug, gemcitabine and hydrophobic drug, quercetin. For quercetin, MSN-NH₂ had the highest drug loading percentage (72%) and slowest release (14%) in 48 h while for gemcitabine, it was found that MSN-COOH had the highest drug loading percentage (45%) and slowest release (15%) in 48 h. Based on the results, it is suggested that mesoporous silica nanoparticle with surface functionalization has suitable properties for controlled drug release which gives constant release behavior over a period of time to avoid repeated administration of drug where the drug is administered at a fixed dosage and regular time interval.     

Aminopyrene functionalized mesoporous silica for the selective determination of resorcinol

Aminopyrene was convalently anchored onto the surface of mesoporous MCM-41 silica by post-grafting. This organic-inorganic hybrid has been applied as sensing material to phenols determination. Experimental results reveal that the functionalized material presents good sensitivity and selectivity towards resorcinol and can be used for resorcinol determination in water at pH 6.0. The fluorescence intensity of aminopyrene functionalized mesoporous silica decreases proportionally to the logarithm of resorcinol concentration in water. The linear range for resorcinol detection lies in 4.79-163 μM with a detection limit of 2.86 μM (S/N = 3).     

Preparation of mesoporous silica nanoparticle with tunable pore diameters for encapsulating and slowly releasing eugenol

Fragrances are frequently added to a variety of products, including food, cosmetics and health products. However, the high volatility and instability of essence limit its application in some fields. In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were prepared to encapsulate eugenol, which could reduce the volatilization of the fragrance molecules. A facile approach was presented to synthesize MSNs with three different pore diameters for encapsulating eugenol. In addition, the properties of MSNs including mean particle size, morphology, encapsulating efficiency and release tendency were characterized. Results showed that the larger the pore diameters of MSNs, the more aromatic molecules were adsorbed. Furthermore, the release mechanism was described as the smaller the pore diameters of MSNs, the slower the release of eugenol.     

Synthesis of novel mesoporous silica spheres with starburst pore canal structure

Novel spherical mesoporous silica materials with uniform diameters and starburst mesopore structures were synthesized by a simple one-step procedure with ethanol as the co-solvent in dilute aqueous solution and their formation mechanism was proposed. The arrangement of the pore canal and the diameter of the sphere could be tailored by altering the concentration of ethanol.     

Synthesis and characterization of nanoparticulate MnS within the pores of mesoporous silica

Mesoporous silica was loaded with nanoparticulate MnS via a simple post-synthesis treatment. The mesoporous material that still contained surfactant was passivated to prevent MnS formation at the surface. The surfactant was extracted and a novel manganese ethylxanthate was used to impregnate the pore network. This precursor thermally decomposes to yield MnS particles that are smaller or equal to the pore size. The particles exhibit all three common polymorphs. The passivation treatment is most effective at lower loadings because at the highest loadings (SiO₂:MnS molar ratio of 6:1) large particles (>50 nm) form at the exterior of the mesoporous particles. The integrity of the mesoporous network is maintained through the preparation and high order is maintained. The MnS particles exhibit unexpected ferromagnetism at low temperatures. Strong luminescence of these samples is observed and this suggests that they may have a range of important application areas.     

Sequestration of CO2 using Cu nanoparticles supported on spherical and rod-shape mesoporous silica

The CO₂ sequestration is one of the most promising solutions to tackle global warming. In this study, spherical mesoporous silica particles (MPS-S) and rod-shaped mesoporous silica particles (MPS-R) loaded with Cu nanoparticles were selectively prepared and employed for CO₂ adsorption. For the first time uniform Cu nanoparticles were incorporated into the rod-shaped mesoporous silica particles by post-synthesis modification using both N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (PEDA) and ethylenediamine (EDA) as coupling agents. The physiochemical properties of the mesoporous and copper grifted silica composites were investigated by CHN elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), surface area analysis, scanning, transmission electron microscopy and gas analysis system (GSD 320, TERMO). The mesoporous silica shows highly ordered mesoporous structures, with the rod-shaped particles having a higher surface area than the spherical ones. Copper nanoparticles with an average diameter of 6.0 nm were uniformly incorporated into the MPS-S and MPS-R. Moreover, Cu-loaded mesoporous silica exhibits up to 40% higher CO₂ adsorption capacity than the bare MPS. The MPS-R modified with Cu nanoparticles showed a maximum CO₂ adsorption capacity of 0.62 mmol/g and the humidity showed a slight negative effect on CO₂ uptake process. The enhancement of CO₂ adsorption onto transition metal/mesoporous substrates provides basis for imminent CO₂ sequestration.     

Evaluation of microstructures and properties of bulk mesoporous silica

Synthesis of mesoporous MCM-type bulks prepared by hydrothermal hot-pressing (HHP) method using MCM-type mesoporous powder was attempted. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), bulk density measurement, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms and formaldehyde adsorption test have been employed to characterize the bulky products. As a result, we succeeded in preparing a dense and strong mesoporous bulks with high BET over 1000 m²/g through the hydrothermal hot-pressing method under appropriate conditions.