pH and temperature dual-responsive hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug encapsulation and delivery

Abstract

In this work, pH and temperature dual-responsive drug delivery vehicles (CDs/PNVCL@HMSNs) with 57.05% drug loading efficiency were prepared. Hollow mesoporous silicon nanoparticles (HMSNs) were synthesized by selective etching. The mixed shells on the surface of HMSNs were composed of carbon dots (CDs) and poly (N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL), which were linked to HMSNs via Schiff base reaction. At room environment (pH = 7.4, T = 25 °C), PNVCL was stretched, so that the model drug Doxorubicin (DOX) could be transported freely through the mesopores. In the blood stream (pH = 7.4, T = 37 °C), PNVCL was collapsed, and DOX was encapsulated to form PNVCL@HMSNs-DOX. CDs were grafted to give CDs/PNVCL@HMSNs-DOX and could further inhibit the leakage of drugs. At the acidic environment of the tumor site, Schiff base bonds broke, leading to shell shedding and DOX release. The drug release could be real-time monitored by the change in fluorescence intensity, which was confirmed by the linear fitting of the fluorescence strength of CDs and the percentage of DOX released. CDs/PNVCL@HMSNs are intriguing drug delivery systems (DDSs), which can combine real-time monitoring and control of drug release.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles
• carbon dots
• drug delivery
• dual-responsive
• real-time monitor

Author contributions

Investigation, data curation and writing-original draft: Shu Wu; conceptualization: Chen Wang, Xia Chen; validation and formal analysis: Lu Bai; funding acquisition, supervision and writing-reviewing and editing: Qiuhua Wu, Guolin Zhang.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation for Education Department of Liaoning Province of China (No. LJC201906) and Startup funds for doctoral research of Liaoning University (a280008030).