Abstract
Porous silicon nanoparticles have been established as excellent candidates for medical applications as drug delivery devices, due to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and high surface area. The simple fabrication method by electrochemical anodization of silicon and its photoluminescent properties are some of the merits that have contributed to the increasing interest given to porous silicon. This paper presents the methods of fabrication, which can be customized to control the pore size, various chemical treatments used for the modification of silicon surfaces, and the characterization and pore morphology of silicon structures. Different approaches used for drug loading and the variety of coatings used for the controlled released are revised. The monitoring of the toxicity of silicon degradation products and the in vivo release of a drug in a specific site are described taking into account its significance on medical applications, specifically on cancer therapy.
Highlights
Nanotechnology has revolutionized engineering designs in a range of materials and applications
Porous silicon has been and still being investigated in both bulk crystalline and as nanostructure for applications as diverse as optics [6,7,8], chemical sensors [9,10,11] and biosensors [12,13,14,15,16], radiotherapy [17], tissue engineering [18], cell culture [19], biotechnology, gas separation, catalyst and microelectronics [20]. pSi with pore size 2–50 nm has played a significant role as a carrier in pharmaceutical technology for its drug loading and controlled release properties [1, 2, 21,22,23]
The scope of this paper is to review the fabrication and characterization of pSi nanoparticles for application as drug delivery devices
Summary
Nanotechnology has revolutionized engineering designs in a range of materials and applications. PSi with pore size 2–50 nm has played a significant role as a carrier in pharmaceutical technology for its drug loading and controlled release properties [1, 2, 21,22,23]. PSi pore dimensions can be precisely controlled depending on fabrication parameters This useful feature enables a range of bioactive species to be loaded and the desired rate of drug release to be obtained [28]. Microfabricated pSi particles as drug delivery systems have shown to enhance paracellular delivery of insulin [21] and the permeability of griseofulvin [35] across intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers They have been used as excellent carriers of clorgyline across the blood brain barrier as a treatment for central nervous system diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer [36]. A special interest is given to these structures for application in cancer therapies
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