Preparation of Defect-Related Luminescent Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle as Potential Detectable Drug Carrier

A defect-related luminescent mesoporous silica nanoparticle (DLMSN) with simultaneous excellent luminescence, high drug loading efficiency and release capacity was prepared upon calcination of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticle (AP-MSN) under a relatively moderate temperature. Under ultraviolet excitation at 365 nm, DLMSN exhibited intense white-blue emission with a range of 400–500 nm, which was inferred to originate from the effective carbon or nitrogen defect in the particle causing by APTES calcination. Additionally, the luminescence intensity of DLMSN was significantly affected by APTES concentration and calcination temperature during the preparation procedure. Within all the tested values, the maximum luminescence intensity was achieved when APTES concentration and calcination temperature were 0.851 mmol and 300 °C, respectively. The drug storage and release tests demonstrated that DLMSN had efficient drug storage and good pH-dependent release for ibuprofen (IBU). Interestingly, ibuprofen-loaded DLMSN (IBU@DLMSN) still exhibit an intense luminescence with an emission peak at around 410 nm under 365 nm excitation, which gradually increased with the sustained release of IBU from IBU@DLMSN. These results suggest that the as-prepared DLMSN may have potential as a detectable nanocarrier in the drug delivery field.