Effects of Co-Solvent Nature and Acid Concentration in the Size and Morphology of Wrinkled Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications

Hierarchically porous materials, such as wrinkled mesoporous silica (WMS), have gained interest in the last couple of decades, because of their wide range of applications in fields such as nanomedicine, energy, and catalysis. The mechanism of formation of these nanostructures is not fully understood, despite various groups reporting very comprehensive studies. Furthermore, achieving particle diameters of 100 nm or less has proven difficult. In this study, the effects on particle size, pore size, and particle morphology of several co-solvents were evaluated. Additionally, varying concentrations of acid during synthesis affected the particle sizes, yielding particles smaller than 100 nm. The morphology and physical properties of the nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Homogeneous and spherical WMS, with the desired radial wrinkle morphology and particle sizes smaller than 100 nm, were obtained. The effect of the nature of the co-solvents and the concentration of acid are explained within the frame of previously reported mechanisms of formation, to further elucidate this intricate process.

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Multilamellar mesoporous silica nanoparticles using a cationic co-surfactant dual-templating method.

10.1101/2021.02.25.432869 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Timo Froyen ◽

Ulrique Vounckx ◽

An Hardy

Keyword(s):

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Synthesis Process ◽

Templating Method ◽

Drug Adsorption ◽

Didodecyldimethylammonium Bromide ◽

Surfactant Templating ◽

Wide Range ◽

Size And Morphology

The utility of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) has been repeatedly proven in a wide range of biomedical applications. The general morphology of these particles is easily modifiable by various post-grafting possibilities and adjustments within the surfactant-based template. The synthesis of multilamellar vesicular silica nanoparticles has led to the discovery of beneficial attributes regarding said particles. Depending on the synthesis process, various parameters are affected including packaging capacity, stability, drug adsorption and release. This research focused on synthesis and characterization of multilamellar MSNs using a cationic-cationic co-surfactant templating route testing various ratios of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). TEM imaging showed clear differences in size and morphology between the different samples, and was further characterized by BET and BJH analysis. All multilamellar nanoparticles did exhibit a similar pore size distribution and overall gradual release of drug contents. However, the degree of drug adsorption and overtime drug release was clearly influenced by the number of layers of the MSNs, proving the utility of adjusting the template. Further experiments could be conducted to validate the utility of beta- cyclodextrin as a template regulator and to investigate both biocompatibility and biodegradability of the multilamellar MSNs.

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Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Mesoporous Bioactive Glasses for Wound Management: From Skin Regeneration to Cancer Therapy

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14123337 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 3337

Author(s):

Sara Hooshmand ◽

Sahar Mollazadeh ◽

Negar Akrami ◽

Mehrnoosh Ghanad ◽

Ahmed El-Fiqi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Skin Regeneration ◽

Bioactive Molecules ◽

Wound Management ◽

Bioactive Glasses ◽

Wide Range

Exploring new therapies for managing skin wounds is under progress and, in this regard, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) offer great opportunities in treating acute, chronic, and malignant wounds. In general, therapeutic effectiveness of both MSNs and MBGs in different formulations (fine powder, fibers, composites etc.) has been proved over all the four stages of normal wound healing including hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. The main merits of these porous substances can be summarized as their excellent biocompatibility and the ability of loading and delivering a wide range of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic bioactive molecules and chemicals. In addition, doping with inorganic elements (e.g., Cu, Ga, and Ta) into MSNs and MBGs structure is a feasible and practical approach to prepare customized materials for improved skin regeneration. Nowadays, MSNs and MBGs could be utilized in the concept of targeted therapy of skin malignancies (e.g., melanoma) by grafting of specific ligands. Since potential effects of various parameters including the chemical composition, particle size/morphology, textural properties, and surface chemistry should be comprehensively determined via cellular in vitro and in vivo assays, it seems still too early to draw a conclusion on ultimate efficacy of MSNs and MBGs in skin regeneration. In this regard, there are some concerns over the final fate of MSNs and MBGs in the wound site plus optimal dosages for achieving the best outcomes that deserve careful investigation in the future.

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Lipase Immobilization in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Biofuel Production

Catalysts ◽

10.3390/catal11050629 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 629

Author(s):

Aniello Costantini ◽

Valeria Califano

Keyword(s):

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Mechanical Stability ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Physiological Role ◽

Biodiesel Production ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Hydroxyl Groups ◽

Lipase Immobilization ◽

Wide Range

Lipases are ubiquitous enzymes whose physiological role is the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol into fatty acids. They are the most studied and industrially interesting enzymes, thanks to their versatility to promote a plethora of reactions on a wide range of substrates. In fact, depending on the reaction conditions, they can also catalyze synthesis reactions, such as esterification, acidolysis and transesterification. The latter is particularly important for biodiesel production. Biodiesel can be produced from animal fats or vegetable oils and is considered as a biodegradable, non-toxic and renewable energy source. The use of lipases as industrial catalysts is subordinated to their immobilization on insoluble supports, to allow multiple uses and use in continuous processes, but also to stabilize the enzyme, intrinsically prone to denaturation with consequent loss of activity. Among the materials that can be used for lipase immobilization, mesoporous silica nanoparticles represent a good choice due to the combination of thermal and mechanical stability with controlled textural characteristics. Moreover, the presence of abundant surface hydroxyl groups allows for easy chemical surface functionalization. This latter aspect has the main importance since lipases have a high affinity with hydrophobic supports. The objective of this work is to provide an overview of the recent progress of lipase immobilization in mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a focus on biodiesel production.

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Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Review on Synthesis and Recent Advances

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics10030118 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 118 ◽

Cited By ~ 166

Author(s):

Reema Narayan ◽

Usha Nayak ◽

Ashok Raichur ◽

Sanjay Garg

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Drug Carriers ◽

Widespread Application ◽

Distinctive Features ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

Size And Morphology

Recent advancements in drug delivery technologies utilizing a variety of carriers have resulted in a path-breaking revolution in the approach towards diagnosis and therapy alike in the current times. Need for materials with high thermal, chemical and mechanical properties have led to the development of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). These ordered porous materials have garnered immense attention as drug carriers owing to their distinctive features over the others. They can be synthesized using a relatively simple process, thus making it cost effective. Moreover, by controlling the parameters during the synthesis; the morphology, pore size and volume and particle size can be transformed accordingly. Over the last few years, a rapid increase in research on MSNs as drug carriers for the treatment of various diseases has been observed indicating its potential benefits in drug delivery. Their widespread application for the loading of small molecules as well as macromolecules such as proteins, siRNA and so forth, has made it a versatile carrier. In the recent times, researchers have sorted to several modifications in the framework of MSNs to explore its potential in drug resistant chemotherapy, antimicrobial therapy. In this review, we have discussed the synthesis of these multitalented nanoparticles and the factors influencing the size and morphology of this wonder carrier. The second part of this review emphasizes on the applications and the advances made in the MSNs to broaden the spectrum of its use especially in the field of biomedicine. We have also touched upon the lacunae in the thorough understanding of its interaction with a biological system which poses a major hurdle in the passage of this carrier to the clinical level. In the final part of this review, we have discussed some of the major patents filed in the field of MSNs for therapeutic purpose.

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Dealing with Skin and Blood-Brain Barriers: The Unconventional Challenges of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics10040250 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 250 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Alessandra Nigro ◽

Michele Pellegrino ◽

Marianna Greco ◽

Alessandra Comandè ◽

Diego Sisci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Biological Tissues ◽

Drug Dosage ◽

Synthesis Process ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Innovative Strategies ◽

Wide Range

Advances in nanotechnology for drug delivery are fostering significant progress in medicine and diagnostics. The multidisciplinary nature of the nanotechnology field encouraged the development of innovative strategies and materials to treat a wide range of diseases in a highly specific way, which allows reducing the drug dosage and, consequently, improving the patient’s compliance. Due to their good biocompatibility, easy synthesis, and high versatility, inorganic frameworks represent a valid tool to achieve this aim. In this context, Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs) are emerging in the biomedical field. For their ordered porosity and high functionalizable surface, achievable with an inexpensive synthesis process and being non-hazardous to biological tissues, MSNs offer ideal solutions to host, protect, and transport drugs to specific target sites. Extensive literature exists on the use of MSNs as targeted vehicles for systemic (chemo) therapy and for imaging/diagnostic purposes. However, the aim of this review is to give an overview of the last updates on the potential applications of the MSNs for Topical Drug Delivery (TDD) and as drug delivery systems into the brain, discussing their performances and advantages in dealing with these intriguing biological barriers.

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Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Embedded Gadolinium Oxide

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.306-307.1275 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 306-307 ◽

pp. 1275-1279 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ning Qi Luo ◽

Zhan Yun Huang ◽

Ping Luo ◽

Yuan Zhi Shao ◽

Di Hu Chen

Keyword(s):

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Mesoporous Structure ◽

Gadolinium Oxide ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

The Mean

We first synthesized gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) by a modified “polyol” strategy and then embedded it into mesoporous silica by a simple self-assembly sol-gel reaction. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results show that the samples have good sphericity and good dispersibility. The structure of mesoporous silica was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD). Results show that the mesoporous structure has not been destroyed after gadolinium oxide imbedding. The ratio of gadolinium and silica was determined by the mean of energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

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Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of MesoporousSiO2Nanoparticles

Journal of Nanomaterials ◽

10.1155/2014/176015 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Dharani Das ◽

Yong Yang ◽

Julie S. O’Brien ◽

Dalibor Breznan ◽

Surendra Nimesh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Physicochemical Characterization ◽

Organic Content ◽

Narrow Particle Size Distribution ◽

Surface Functionality ◽

Wide Range ◽

Surface Modified

There exists a knowledge gap in understanding potential toxicity of mesoporous silica nanoparticles. A critical step in assessing toxicity of these particles is to have a wide size range with different chemistries and physicochemical properties. There are several challenges when synthesizing mesoporous silica nanoparticles over a wide range of sizes including (1) nonuniform synthesis protocols using the same starting materials, (2) the low material yield in a single batch synthesis (especially for particles below 60–70 nm), and (3) morphological instability during surfactant removal process and surface modifications. In this study, we synthesized a library of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with approximate particle sizes of 25, 70, 100, 170, and 600 nm. Surfaces of the silica nanoparticles were modified with hydrophilic-CH2–(CH2)2–COOH and relatively hydrophobic-CH2–(CH2)10–COOH functional groups. All silica nanoparticles were analysed for morphology, surface functionality, surface area/pore volume, surface organic content, and dispersion characteristics in liquid media. Our analysis revealed the synthesis of a spectrum of monodisperse bare and surface modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distribution and devoid of cocontaminants critical for toxicity studies. Complete physicochemical characterization of these synthetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles will permit systematic toxicology studies for investigation of structure-activity relationships.

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Reducing Microbiological Adhesion on Aluminum by Using Silver Nanocrystals Encapsulated in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.236-238.1775 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 236-238 ◽

pp. 1775-1778 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Li Hua Dong ◽

Tao Liu ◽

Li Zhang ◽

Yan Sheng Yin

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Marine Bacterium ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Plate Count ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Bacterial Growth Curve ◽

Plate Count Method

In the present study, we report the preparation of silver nanocrystals encapsulated in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Ag-MSN) with increased stability and enhanced anti-bacterial potency. The morphology of the nanoparticles was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction analyses proved that the silver nanocrystals were truly embedded in the mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles was proved by plate count method and bacterial growth curve. Moreover, the marine bacterium V. natriegens showed weak attachment to the aluminum coated with Ag -MSN. The mechanism of reducing microbiological adhesion was also discussed.

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The Effects of Particle Size and Morphology of Raw Materials on the Properties of MoSi2 Synthesized by SHS

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.319.213 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 319 ◽

pp. 213-218 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ying Zhou ◽

Cai Li Wei ◽

Guo Tian Ye ◽

Chen Yong Liu

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Secondary Phase ◽

Combustion Products ◽

Particle Sizes ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

High Temperature Synthesis ◽

Particle Size And Morphology ◽

Size And Morphology ◽

Grinding Time

In this work, the influences of the particle size and morphology of raw materials on the formation of MoSi2 by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) were investigated. A series of Si powders with different particle sizes and Mo powders with different morphologies were obtained by grinding for 1, 5 and 10 hours, respectively. X-ray diffraction pattern characterization (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the samples. It was found that, the phase compositions and morphologies of the combustion products depended on the particle size and morphology of the raw materials. The particle sizes of Si powders decreased with increasing the grinding time, and a secondary phase of Mo5Si3 was detected in the obtained MoSi2 powders when the smallest particle size of Si powders was about 1μm. While, the particle sizes of Mo powders increased with increasing the grinding times, and the obtained MoSi2 showed massive flaky structures, which were similar to the morphologies of Mo particles.

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Size Effect of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles on Pesticide Loading, Release, and Delivery in Cucumber Plants

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11020575 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 575

Author(s):

Yongbing Xu ◽

Chunli Xu ◽

Qiliang Huang ◽

Lidong Cao ◽

Feifei Teng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Mesoporous Silica ◽

Size Effect ◽

Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles ◽

Research Work ◽

Control Release ◽

Carbon Quantum Dots ◽

Particle Sizes ◽

Effective Utilization

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) are widely used as pesticide carriers to enhance their effective utilization, since it can promote the solubility and absorption of pesticides by plants. For plants, the particle size of pesticides influences their absorption and efficacy. Herein, is our research work of the size effect of MSN on the loading, release, and delivery behavior of pyraoxystrobin (Pyr) in cucumber plants. The well-ordered Pyr-loaded carbon quantum dots-MSN (Pyr@M) with sizes of 15, 100, and 200 nm were prepared. A comparative study among different particle sizes of Pyr@M was carried out on the aspects of control release performance, loading content, uptake, and transportation performance in cucumber plants. It was found that the loading content increased as the particle size increased. The nanoparticles as carriers increased the solubility of insoluble Pyr, but the nanoparticle size had no clear difference impact on the release rate. The efficiency of the cellular uptake strongly depended on the particle size. The smaller the MSN size, the easier it was to be absorbed and transmitted by cucumber plants. Compared to the free Pyr, the upward transportation rate of Pyr from Pyr@M in plant increased by 3.5 times. These findings provide new theoretical basis to design the MSN pesticide delivery system.

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