Abstract
A “smart” core@shell composite nanoparticle (NP) having dual-response mechanisms (i.e., temperature and light) was synthesized, and its efficacy in the loading and release of small molecules was explored. These core@shell NPs are composed of an optically active gold nanoshell (GNS) core and a mesoporous (m-) silica layer (m-SiO2). The GNS@m-SiO2 nanoparticles are further encapsulated within a thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) hydrogel (PNIPAM-co-AA). The multi-responsive composite NPs were designed to create thermally and optically modulated drug-delivery vehicles with a m-SiO2 layer providing additional non-collapsible space for drug storage. The influence of the m-SiO2 layer on the efficacy of loading and release of methylene blue, which serves as a model for a small-molecule therapeutic drug, was evaluated. The “smart” core@shell composite NPs having a m-SiO2 layer demonstrated an improved capacity to load and release small molecules compared to the corresponding NPs with no m-SiO2 shell. Additionally, an efficient response by the composite NPs was successfully induced by the thermal energy generated from the gold nanoshell core upon exposure to near infrared (NIR) stimulation.
Highlights
Motivation for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and their composites has been driven in recent years by the unique and tunable optical properties of these materials and their potential utility in various applications
This research has revealed a method for the reproducible preparation of gold nanoshells and their encapsulation with a biocompatible m-SiO2 interlayer along with a hydrogel copolymer outerlayer, designed for enhanced drug delivery
The morphology, elemental composition, and physical properties of the composite particles were characterized by SEM, EDX, transmission electron microscope (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and UV-vis spectroscopy
Summary
Motivation for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and their composites has been driven in recent years by the unique and tunable optical properties of these materials and their potential utility in various applications. By integrating multiple components—the physical and chemical properties of both materials in composite core@shell materials—multifunctional devices that enable a variety of advanced applications that cannot be accomplished by simple nanoparticles alone can be realized [7,8,9,10,11]. An example of such an application is a targeted photothermal drug-delivery system (DDS). This approach of forming composite nanoparticles involving a core nanomaterial coated with a m-SiO2 layer and encapsulated by a hydrogel modulated by an external stimulant offers a promising new system for nanomedicinal therapeutics
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