Uniform Pore Research Articles

Microporous membrane with ionized sub-nanochannels enabling highly selective monovalent and divalent anion separation

Membranes tailored for selective ion transport represent a promising avenue toward enhancing sustainability across various fields including water treatment, resource recovery, and energy conversion and storage. While nanochannels formed by polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) offer a compelling solution with their uniform and durable nanometer-sized pores, their effectiveness is hindered by limited interactions between ions and nanochannel. Herein, we introduce the randomly twisted V-shaped structure of Tröger’s Base unit and quaternary ammonium groups to construct ionized sub-nanochannel with a window size of 5.89–6.54 Å between anion hydration and Stokes diameter, which enhanced the dehydrated monovalent ion transport. Combining the size sieving and electrostatic interaction effects, sub-nanochannel membranes achieved exceptional ion selectivity of 106 for Cl-/CO32- and 82 for Cl-/SO42-, significantly surpassing the state-of-the-art membranes. This work provides an efficient template for creating functionalized sub-nanometer channels in PIM membranes, and paves the way for the development of precise ion separation applications.

Optimizing gelation properties of mixed meat myofibrillar proteins: investigating the effects of different proportions of beef, pork and chicken on physicochemical, structural and gelation properties.

The gelation properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) directly affect the texture, taste and water-holding capacity (WHC) of meat products. To enhance the gelation properties of single-species meat MP, the present study investigated the influence of different proportions of beef, pork and chicken MP on the physicochemical properties, structure and gelation properties of the MP. The results revealed that, when the proportion reached 5:2:3, the particle size decreases, leading to the maximum decomposition and unfolding of MPs, which exposes a greater number of hydrophobic amino acid residues. These changes promote interactions between protein molecules, especially the unfolding of α-helices and the formation of β-sheets during the heating process, which provides favorable conditions for the formation of protein gels and improves the gel strength and WHC of MP gels. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy revealed that the mixed MP gels are more compact and have more uniform gel networks and pores compared to single-species MP gels. Based on these results, the synergistic effect is induced by the interactions between proteins from different. This research provides a method for the subsequent development of new meat products and improvement of meat product quality, and also lays a theoretical foundation for composite research of proteins from different sources. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Incorporating whole soybean pulp into wheat flour for nutrient-enriched steamed bread: Exploring the impact on physical and nutritional characteristics.

This research explored the impact of incorporating various levels of whole soybean pulp (WSP) (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) into wheat flour on the physical and nutritional qualities of steamed bread. In comparison with the traditional steamed bread, the substitution of up to 20% WSP did not significantly alter the specific volume, hardness, and chewiness of the steamed bread. Additionally, the crumb texture of the steamed bread with 20% WSP maintained small and uniform pores, with optimal springiness and cohesiveness. Nutritionally, the substitution of 10%-50% WSP enhanced total dietary fiber, total phenolics, and protein by 9.40%-89.79%, 14.96%-116.31%, and 3.45%-34.36%, respectively. Isoflavones in the steamed bread increased markedly from 22.92µg/g to a range of 140.12-997.12µg/g. The expected glycemic index showed a decrease from 90.24 to between 85.85 and 70.75, whereas amino acid scores improved from 59.22 to a range of 64.58-65.08, with lysine (Lys) scores notably increasing from 59.22 to between 64.96 and 88.80. In conclusion, partially replacing wheat flour with WSP is an effective method for enhancing the nutritional profile and addressing the essential amino acid imbalance in steamed bread. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study partially replaced flour with WSP to improve the steamed bread's nutritional quality. The optimal substitution level was determined to be 20% WSP, which improves the bread's nutritional value without significantly impacting its physical qualities. Furthermore, WSP is produced from soaked soybeans through hot water milling. This process simplifies soybean processing, lowers energy consumption and costs, and reduces pollution. It also effectively retains essential nutrients, such as protein, dietary fiber, polyphenols, and soy isoflavones, ensuring the full utilization of soybeans.

Influence of pore length non-uniformity on transport properties of random nanopore networks

The modeling of fluid transport in nanoporous materials has long attracted attention because of the numerous industrial applications of such materials, particularly in membrane-based separations, and others such as adsorptive gas separation and storage, catalysis, and the emerging area of nanofluidics. While effective medium theory has been widely used in modelling this transport, a critical approximation that all pores have the same length is commonly made, whose adequacy is unknown. Here we apply effective medium theory to a randomly overlapping capillary model having an inherent pore length distribution related to the pore radius distribution, and compare the network transport properties with those of the commonly used uniform pore length random network. We find that the consideration of nonuniform pore length distribution leads to significantly higher effective diffusivity and lower associated apparent tortuosity, mediated by the lower mean pore length of large pores due to their higher probability of overlap. The decrease in pore length with an increase in pore radius and the competing effects of adsorption and diffusion, lead to more complex behaviour of the transport properties with variation in temperature and relative standard deviation of the pore radius distribution. Our results clearly demonstrate the importance of considering nonuniformity of pore length, as the conventional uniform pore length approximation leads to significantly different and therefore misleading results.

Advancing drinking water safety: Facile fabrication of nanofiltration membrane for enhanced antibiotics removal and efficient water softening

Long-term water consumption with contaminated antibiotics and high levels of hardness threatens the health of humans and animals. In this study, a novel positively charged nanofiltration membrane was designed for the dual purpose of efficiently removing antibiotics and softening hard water. The membrane was fabricated by casting P84 polymer solution onto non-woven fabrics, followed by immersion in the polyethyleneimine (PEI) solution for phase inversion and cross-linking, and finalized interfacial polymerization with trimesoyl chloride. Notably, the rapid immersion of the P84 substrate into PEI drastically reduces preparation time by 95 % compared to the regular method while maximizing PEI storage, resulting in uniform pore sizes and a positively charged surface. The optimal membrane showed a high water permeance of 11.3 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and exceptional antibiotic rejection, i.e., 99.6 % for enrofloxacin, 99.2 % for ciprofloxacin, and 96.3 % for sulfamethoxazole, as well as a highly effective removal in water hardness (over 96 % of Ca2+ and Mg2+) at 4 bar. Simulated water separation tests showed that the optimal membrane effectively controls hard water salinity within optimum drinking water ranges (Ca2+ ≤ 80 mg/L; Mg2+ ≤ 30 mg/L), providing efficient water softening and antibiotic capture ability. Additionally, the optimal membrane demonstrated a superior anti-bacterial and long-term stability performance. This study has significant potential for improving drinking water supply safety and addressing pressing public health and environmental concerns.

Efficient construction of self-assembled starch colloidosomes for controlled-release of pesticides

Biodegradable colloidosomes have attracted increasing attention for their applications to enhance the efficacy and reduce wastage of pesticides in agriculture. In this study, we present a continuous and highly efficient method for production of starch colloidosomes. The starch particles with an average particle size of 230.2 nm and good dispersibility were prepared using surface modification technology, and then used as environment-friendly shell materials to form self-assembled starch colloidosomes using spray drying technology. The influences of inlet temperature, feed rate and air flow rate on the morphologies of colloidosomes were also studied. This strategy enables the construction of starch colloidosomes with uniform spherical morphology and controllable pore sizes under different pH, and can be used for pesticide encapsulation. After loading pyraclostrobin (PYR), the regular spherical colloidosomes not only achieve a small mean diameter of 2.35 µm, but also realize a high encapsulation efficiency of 82 %. The release performance of PYR has an obvious pH response and follows the segmented Ritger-Pepapes model of sustained-release. The colloidosomes were used to prevent the photodegradation of pesticides. The PYR loaded colloidosomes exhibit excellent UV resistance with a retention rate of 72.7 %. In addition, the loading of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the embedding of carbon dots were also explored.

Supramolecular Polymer Frameworks with Controlled and Uniform Pore Apertures

AbstractPorous frameworks with controlled pore structure and tunable aperture are greatly demanded. However, precise synthesis of this kind of materials is a formidable challenge. Herein, we report the fabrication of two‐dimensional (2D) supramolecular polymer frameworks using a precisely synthesized rod‐like helical polyisocyanide as link. Four three‐arm star‐shaped polyisocyanides with the degree of the polymerization of 10, 20, 30 and 40, and having 2‐ureido‐4[1H]‐pyrimidinone (UPy) terminals were synthesized. 2D‐Crystalline polymer frameworks with apertures of 5.3, 10.1, 13.9, and 19.1 nm were respectively obtained through intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction between the terminal Upy units. The pore aperture is dependent on the length of polyisocyanide backbone. Thus, well‐defined supramolecular polymer frameworks with controlled and uniform hexagonal pores were obtained, as proved by small‐angle X‐ray scattering (synchrotron radiation facility), atomic force microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses. The frameworks with uniform large pore aperture were used to purify nanomaterials and immobilize biomacromolecules. For instance, the membranes of the polymer frameworks could size‐fractionation of silver nanoparticles into uniform nanoparticles with very low dispersity. The frameworks with large aperture facilitated the inclusion of myoglobin and enhanced the stability and catalytic activity.

Influence of foaming additives on the porous structure and properties of lightweight geopolymers based on ash–slag waste

Lightweight geopolymer is a promising thermal insulation material that conserves energy used for heating and cooling buildings. This study investigates foaming agents that influence the porous structure and properties of geopolymer foams based on ash–slag waste from thermal power plant using a 12 M sodium hydroxide solution, waterglass, and foaming agents (30 % hydrogen peroxide solution, aluminum, silicon, and zinc powders). The study demonstrates the feasibility of foaming geopolymers by water evaporation without foaming additives, where the best density of 949 kg/m3 and compressive strength of 4.2 MPa were achieved in samples foamed by microwave radiation, but such properties cannot attribute geopolymers as lightweight. Foaming with H2O2 is hard to synchronize with geopolymerization reactions. Aluminum and silicon powders lead to rapid reactions in alkaline conditions, resulting in uneven pore sizes. Zinc powder was the most effective foaming agent, producing materials with a density of 331 kg/m3 and compressive strength of 1.17 MPa, and it also integrates into the geopolymer gel structure. The foaming process should occur at room temperature. Elevated temperatures increase curing rates and result in incomplete geopolymerization, preventing uniform pore formation. Synthesized geopolymers are suitable for building insulation, basements, underground pipelines, and utility networks.

Multiple modulating energy-efficient nanofiltration membranes during high-quality drinking water towards high mineral/organic matter selectivity

Solving the low mineral/organic matter selectivity of nanofiltration (NF) membranes and realizing high permeability are effective strategies to satisfy the energy-saving production of high-quality drinking water. Controlling the interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction rate at the molecular level is a feasible approach to customize the functionality of NF membranes and simultaneously modulate multiple membrane properties. Here, we selected 1.4-piperazinediethanesulfonic acid (PIPES) as an aqueous-phase additive, and by taking advantage of the hydrogen-bonding, long-range electrostatic, and steric hindrance effects between PIPES and piperazine (PIP)monomers, as well as the reduction of solution pH, we achieved precise molecular-level regulation of the IP reaction rate. This strategy simultaneously enables the integrated tailoring of various membrane properties such as high hydrophilicity, high surface charge density, uniform pore size distribution and roughness reduction. Molecular dynamics (MD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to explore the effects of structural and morphological changes of the polyamide layer on the permeation performance, and the microscopic adsorption mechanism of foulants on the membrane was analyzed by a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). For pacificating natural surface water, the PIPES-0.75 NF membrane exhibited high permeation performance (23.7 LMH/bar), high mineral/organic selectivity (KCa2+/DOM = 16.5), excellent anti-fouling and anti-scaling properties, and reduced CO2 emissions per ton of water produced up to 90 %. In addition, an attempt was made to correlate the physicochemical properties of the membranes with the permselectivity and membrane fouling, and the economic availability of PIPES-conditioned NF membranes was examined, which provides a novel option for achieving NF in drinking water systems from the perspective of cost reduction and efficiency.

Study on the mechanical properties of micropore organic polymer membranes

Abstract Micropore organic polymer membranes are indispensable for membrane filtration with well-established selectivity and permeability. Pressure-driven conditions in harsh acidic or alkaline environments can influence the mechanical properties of these materials. Diminished mechanical properties may include a shortened membrane lifespan, reduced filtration effectiveness, and increased filtration cost. Understanding of the intricate mechanisms influencing the mechanical properties of organic polymer membranes remains incomplete. In this study, a comprehensive investigation was carried out to characterize the mechanical properties of different membrane materials with similar and varying pore size parameters. The influence of different methods of membrane preparation on the mechanical properties of these materials was also explored. Results showed that the PTFE membranes demonstrated excellent Young’s modulus and tensile strength, while PVDF membranes excelled in elongation at break. Organic filter membranes prepared by the phase transition method exhibited a more structured fiber filament arrangement, a smoother surface, reduced crack formation and extension, and uniform pore size and distribution when compared to materials prepared using the tensile method. The results of this study expanded our understanding of the factors that can influence the mechanical properties of organic filtration membranes.

Semi-quantitative analysis of the structural evolution of mesophase pitch-based carbon foams by Raman and FTIR spectroscopy

Graphitized carbon foams (GFms) were prepared using mesophase pitch (MP) as a raw material by foaming (450 °C), pre-oxidation (320 °C), carbonization (1 000 °C) and graphitization (2 800 °C). The differences in structure and properties of GFms prepared from different MP precursors pretreated by ball milling or liquid phase extraction were investigated and compared, and semi-quantitative calculations were conducted on the Raman and FTIR spectra of samples at each preparation stage. Semi-quantitative spectroscopic analysis provided detailed information on the structure and chemical composition changes of the MP and GFm derived from it. Combined with microscopic observations, the change from precursor to GFm was analyzed. The results showed that ball milling concentrated the distribution of aromatic molecules in the pitch, which contributed to uniform foaming to give a GFm with a uniform pore distribution and good properties. Liquid phase extraction helped remove light components while retaining large aromatics to form graphitic planes with the largest average size during post-treatment to produce a GFm with the highest degree of graphitization and the fewest open pores, giving the best compression resistance (2.47 MPa), the highest thermal conductivity (64.47 W/(m·K)) and the lowest electrical resistance (13.02 μΩ·m). Characterization combining semi-quantitative spectroscopic analysis with microscopic observations allowed us to control the preparation of the MP-derived GFms.

Quantifying pore spatial uniformity: Application on membranes before and after plasma etching

Membranes play a critical role in diverse applications, including filtration and tissue engineering. The importance of membrane performance optimization highlights the necessity of accurately characterizing the pore structure. Traditional Pore Size Distribution methodologies are widely used to quantify size uniformity. Uniformity though, integrates both size and spatial pore structure aspects, thus necessitating the synergy of complementary techniques to analyze pore structure. This work empowers classic pore metrology with stochastic geometry, specifically the Nearest Neighbour Index (NNI) to assess the spatial uniformity of pores in membrane Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images. Through a comprehensive analysis of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) before and after plasma etching, along with nanofilament coated Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes, this analysis enhances our understanding of membrane morphology through pore structure and pore spatial arrangement. The findings indicate that increasing magnification leads to a decrease in apparent spatial uniformity, indicative of effects regarding the inclusion in analysis of families of finer pores. In almost all cases, NNI values show higher uniformity compared to a fully random scenario. Additionally, it is found that plasma etching does not have significant effects on spatial uniformity introducing only a slight uniformity in pore centroid arrangement, reflected in a small NNI increase. Furthermore, a pore area shuffling technique reveals the effects of pore density and size on spatial uniformity, highlighting patterns inherent to the materials under study.

Study of the dual role mechanism triggered by in-situ cross-linking in hollow fiber membrane matrix

In this paper, a novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane with uniform pore size and hydrophilic cross-linked network in membrane matrix was developed by non‐solvent induced phase separation method. The dual role mechanism of in-situ cross-linking in regulating molecular chain arrangement during phase separation and preventing deterioration of membrane mechanical properties were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the cross-linked network formed by in-situ crosslinking entangled with PVDF molecular chains which improved the regularity of PVDF molecular chains, increasing the uniformity of the pore size distribution, the percentage of the most probable pore size of the modified membrane increased to 93.25 %. The cross-linked network was immobilized in the membrane which formed semi-interpenetrating structure, maintaining the mechanical properties of the membrane. The permeation flux of the modified membrane increased by 24.1 times to 477.7 L m−2 h−1 compared to the original PVDF membrane. The rejection of BSA was maintained at 98.5 %, with the tensile strength increased to 2.52 MPa. The modified membrane exhibited persistent hydrophilicity in 21 days washing experiment with improved antifouling performance.

An enhanced tri-layer bionic periosteum with gradient structure loaded by mineralized collagen for guided bone regeneration and in-situ repair

Severe fracture non-union often accompanied by damaged or even absent periosteum remains a significant challenge. This paper presents a novel tri-layer bionic periosteum with gradient structure and mineralized collagen (MC) mimics natural periosteum for in-situ repair and bone regeneration. The construct with ultrasonic polylactic acid as the loose outer fibrous layer (UPLA), poly(ε-caprolactone) as the intermediate barrier layer (PCL-M), and poly(ε-caprolactone)/MC as the inner osteoblastic layer (PM) was prepared. The physicochemical properties of layers were investigated. UPLA/PCL-M/PM exhibited a tensile strength (3.55 ± 0.23 MPa) close to that of natural periosteum and excellent adhesion between the layers. In vitro experiments demonstrated that all layers had no toxicity to cells. UPLA promoted inward growth of mouse fibroblasts. PCL-M with a uniform pore size (2.82 ± 0.05 μm) could achieve a barrier effect against fibroblasts according to the live/dead assay. Meanwhile, PM could effectively promote cell migration with high alkaline phosphatase expression and significant mineralization of the extracellular matrix. Besides, in vivo experiments showed that UPLA/PCL-M/PM significantly promoted the regeneration of bone and early angiogenesis. Therefore, this construct with gradient structure developed in this paper would have great application potential in the efficient and high-quality treatment of severe fractures with periosteal defects.

Properties and transpiration cooling performance of Cf/SiC porous ceramic composite

Transpiration cooling have gradually become the lead candidate for thermal protection technology of hypersonic vehicle also due to its excellent cooling performance. The porous medium with exceptional properties can further improve thermal protection capability and reliability of transpiration cooling. This paper investigates the preparation and properties of Cf/SiC porous ceramic composite with low density and remarkable permeability, and probes the transpiration cooling performances of ceramic composites (mass ratio of silicon carbide particles and short chopped carbon fibers of 1:1) in the various heat flux conditions. The research results show that Cf/SiC porous ceramic composites prepared by adding short chopped carbon fibers have uniform pore size distributions (3～20 μm) and low densities (1.074 g/cm3 ～ 1.377 g/cm3), as well as outstanding wettability and permeability (6.07 × 10−8 mm2 ～ 12.22 × 10−8 mm2). Besides, The Cf/SiC porous ceramic composites (mass ratio of 1:1) display excellent transpiration cooling performance, meanwhile a new interesting phenomenon that the water pressure difference increases with the rising of heat flow is discovered. Such studies can provide an essential reference for developing porous medium in transpiration cooling technology.

Dehydration-modulated pomelo peel cellulose nanofiber interlayer customized polyamide membrane with highly uniform pores for efficient nanofiltration

The development of high-performance polyamide nanofiltration (PA NF) membranes by introducing interlayers holds promise for efficient desalination. In this study, a novel PA NF membrane was prepared by incorporating the special biomass interlayer, which consisted of dehydration-modulated pomelo peel cellulose nanofiber (PCNF). Due to the removal of water, the proportion of exposed oxygen-containing functional groups within the PCNF interlayer increased significantly, and thus the diffusion of piperazine (PIP) could be slowed down effectively. Consequently, the diffusion-restricted PIP was enriched and anchored by PCNF and formed a PA layer with a unique layered structure in the interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction. The surface PA layer with lower a cross-linking degree could optimize water transport pathways and improve membrane permeability (28.67 LMH/bar). Meanwhile, the bottom PA layer, which was closely interspersed with PCNF, reduced pore size of the membrane and enhanced the rejection of Na2SO4 (98.63%). This study reveals a low-cost and eco-friendly strategy for preparing effective biomass interlayers, which provides a feasible approach for designing high-performance NF membranes.

Ionic liquid mediated one-step perpendicular assembly in block copolymer thin films for ultrafiltration membrane applications

The rapid rise of oil and gas, petrochemical, food processing, and pharmaceutical industries has added a complex mixture of contaminants like oil, particulates, metals, and other organic compounds to wastewater. Multipurpose membranes with precise pore structure can offer a solution to this problem and block copolymers (BCP) can be used to achieve such structures. Achieving vertical assembly of BCP domains provides a perfect template for developing uniform through film channels for separation and transport of material, besides being useful for the rectification of defects in photolithography patterns. Producing such morphologies may require extensive film/substrate processing and is not always feasible for scale-up. With this article, we demonstrate a facile solution casting method to induce vertical domain assembly in as-cast diblock copolymer thin films in the presence of an ionic liquid (IL) additive that preferentially segregates to one block and neutralizes interfacial interactions. We also show the tunability of domain sizes by controlling the additive concentration. These vertically aligned morphologies are important for the development of next-generation lithographic techniques and form excellent templates for ultrafiltration membranes with uniform pore sizes. This article demonstrates how IL additives can be used to obtain stable non-equilibrium morphologies in as-cast BCP films and the effect of BCP molecular mass, block volume fractions, and IL content on self-assembly.

A molecular dynamics study on pore structure: Performance comparison between metal foam and artificial mesh porous surface

With the development of surface engineering, porous surfaces have emerged as a significant research subject in boiling heat transfer. The latter, in turn, plays a crucial role in various industries such as power plants, distillation plants, and microelectronic technology. In this paper, the Molecular Dynamics method is adopted to investigate the wicking dynamics and boiling dynamics of two porous surfaces: foam, which exhibits randomly distributed pores, and mesh, composed of ordered square wires with relatively uniform pore sizes. Three wettability, namely hydrophilic, neutral, and hydrophobic wetting states, are assigned to the two porous surfaces de-coupling the effect of wettability from surface structure. Results reveal that, during the wicking process, the foam surface shows better wetting ability as it absorbs liquid under both hydrophilic and neutral wettability. Comparatively, the mesh surface has the fastest wicking speed under hydrophilic wettability yet it becomes non-wetting under neutral wettability. During the boiling process, the boiling dynamics differ greatly under three wettability. More importantly, the difference in surface structure makes the foam surface possess a better heat transfer whereas the mesh surface causes gentle pressure variation. Our findings provide insights into the design of artificial porous surfaces for certain purpose and their potential application.

Multifunctional CoCe/silica and CoMnCe/silica spinel ferrite nanocomposite: in vitro and in vivo evaluation for cancer therapy

Multifunctional magnetic spinel ferrite based on CoCe and CoMnCe/silica nanocomposites (NCs) were developed for targeted cancer therapeutics. The formation of spinel ferrite and co-existence of spinel ferrite/silica/chemo-drug, surface/pore size distribution, morphological features and magnetic properties were investigated using different characterization techniques. XRD pattern confirmed the pure phase of CoCe and CoMnCe spinel ferrite with estimated crystal size of 27.9 nm. After silica coating and pegylation, the crystal size of CoCe and CoMnCe increases to 36.3 nm and 76.2 nm. Nitrogen adsorption isotherm confirm an effective embedment of both spinel ferrites into silica with large surface area (653 m2/g and 718 m2/g) and uniform pore size distributions (6.1 nm and 6.9 nm). FT-IR spectra confirm the magnetic spinel ferrite/silica interactions (977, 1705 and 3410 cm−1), cisplatin functionalization (1645 cm−1) and PEG (1275–2900 cm−1). Coating SFNPswith Si and/or Cp and/or PEG, tunes the magnetic characteristics of the NCs system. For both CoCe and CoMnCe SFNPs, saturation magnetization (Ms) of 14.96 and 10.91 emu/g, residual magnetization (Mr) of 4.40 and 2.42 emu/g, Hc (coercivity) of 1072.1 and 719.3 Oe gradually diminish upon Si, respectively. The chemical state of CoMnCe SFNPs, CoCe SFNPs, their silica and active cisplatin NCs (Pt0 and Pt2+) were investigated using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The anti-cancer efficacy of pegylated nanoformulations were tested in in vitro cells (HeLa, HCT-116 and HEK-293) and Hemolysis assay. The toxicity of different nanoformulations administered in different concentrations (20–2000 mg/kg) in in vivo was estimated based on LD50 value.

Ultrasonic Preparation of Nano-CaCO3 Templates and Hollow Mesoporous SiO2 Nanoparticles for Voriconazole Loading

CaCO3 nanoparticles (nano-CaCO3) as nano-templates were prepared using CaCl2 and Na2CO3 solutions under controlled sonication (19.5 kHz). Using the same ultrasonic device, subsequently, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) were obtained by the hard template of nano-CaCO3. HMSNs were selected as carriers for the antifungal drug voriconazole (VOR) loading to overcome poor water solubility. Three-dimensional CaCO3 nanosheets HMSNs were obtained under gentle sonication. Three-dimensional CaCO3 nanosheets of 24.5 nm (hydrodynamic diameter) were obtained under 17.6 W for 3 min. HMSNs were synthesized by double-template method with nano-CaCO3 as the hard template. Transmission electron microscopy measurements showed that the prepared HMSNs possess hollow structures with particle size between 110 and 120 nm. Nitrogen physisorption at -196 °C revealed that the HMSNs had high surface area (401.57 m2/g), high pore volume (0.11 cm3/g), and uniform pore size (2.22 nm) that facilitated the effective encapsulation of VOR in the HMSNs. The loading capacity of VOR (wt%) on the HMSNs was 7.96%, and the total VOR release amount of VOR-HMSNs material was 71.40% at 480 min. The kinetic model confirmed that the release mechanism of HMSNs nanoparticles followed Fickian diffusion at pH = 7.4 and 37 °C. Moreover, the cumulative VOR release at 42 °C (86.05%) was higher than that at 37 °C (71.40%). The cumulative release amount of VOR from the VOR-HMSNs material was 92.37% at pH = 5.8 at the same temperature. Both nano-CaCO3 templates and HMSNs were prepared by sonication at 19.5 kHz. The as-prepared HMSNs can effectively encapsulate VOR and released drug by Fickian diffusion.Graphical Nano-CaCO3 Templates and Hollow Mesoporous SiO2 Nanoparticles