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.
['Flood-Garibay|Jessica Andrea|JA|', 'Méndez-Rojas|Miguel A|MA|0000-0002-4758-3763']
D000327:Adsorption D004337:Drug Carriers D016503:Drug Delivery Systems D053768:Metal Nanoparticles D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission D053758:Nanoparticles D049329:Nanostructures D010316:Particle Size D016062:Porosity D012822:Silicon Dioxide D012997:Solvents D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
co-solvent drug delivery wrinkled mesoporous silica (WMS)