Abstract
In recent years, researchers focused their attention on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) owing to the considerable advancements of the characterization methods, especially electron microscopy methods, which allowed for a clear visualization of the pore structure and the materials encapsulated within the pores, along with the X-ray diffraction (small angles) methods and specific surface area determination by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique. Mesoporous silica gained important consideration in biomedical applications thanks to its tunable pore size, high surface area, surface functionalization possibility, chemical stability, and pore nature. Specifically, the nature of the pores allows for the encapsulation and release of anti-cancer drugs into tumor tissues, which makes MSN ideal candidates as drug delivery carriers in cancer treatment. Moreover, the inner and outer surfaces of the MSN provide a platform for further functionalization approaches that could enhance the adsorption of the drug within the silica network and the selective targeting and controlled release to the desired site. Additionally, stimuli-responsive mesoporous silica systems are being used as mediators in cancer therapy, and through the release of the therapeutic agents hosted inside the pores under the action of specific triggering factors, it can selectively deliver them into tumor tissues. Another important application of the mesoporous silica nanomaterials is related to its ability to extract different hazardous species from aqueous media, some of these agents being antibiotics, pesticides, or anti-tumor agents. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the methods of MSN synthesis and related characteristics, the available surface functionalization strategies, and the most important applications of MSN in adsorption as well as release studies. Owing to the increasing antibiotic resistance, the need for developing materials for antibiotic removal from wastewaters is important and mesoporous materials already proved remarkable performances in environmental applications, including removal or even degradation of hazardous agents such as antibiotics and pesticides.
Highlights
With 37 wt.%, silica is the most ubiquitously found oxide on earth and it represents the general name for silicon dioxide-consisting inorganic ceramic materials
Silica materials can be porous, non-porous, anhydrous, or hydroxylated, with the degree of hydration being proportional to the specific surface area, with the larger surface area meaning higher defect areas, which can be turned into silanol groups [1,2]
The purpose of this review is to review the methods of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) synthesis and derived characteristics, the available surface-functionalization strategies, and the most important applications of MSN in biomedical and environmental applications
Summary
With 37 wt.%, silica is the most ubiquitously found oxide on earth and it represents the general name for silicon dioxide-consisting inorganic ceramic materials. It can be synthetically produced within a wide range of structures, from entirely amorphous, which has the property of retaining the memory of its path owing to its high viscosity and low diffusivity, to highly crystalline, such as quartz. The silica-based materials considered in this review are non-porous silica nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), mesoporous silica-based materials, and biosilica. They can be obtained at low temperatures, which makes them suitable for biomedical applications [5]. The pore size leads to the classification of silica materials into microporous, with a pore diameter smaller than 2 nm; mesoporous, with diameters in the range of 2 and 50 nm; and macroporous, with pores larger than 50 nm [6,7]. The focus of this review is mesoporous silica, which will be thoroughly described further
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