Mesoporous System Research Articles

A Mesoporous Silica-Based Nano-Drug Co-Delivery System with Gemcitabine for Targeted Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer.

To investigate the efficacy and safety of the mesoporous silica-based nano-drug co-delivery system with gemcitabine (GEM) in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Wenzhou Central Hospital, Zhejiang Province, China, between July 2022 and November 2023. Ce6@MSN-Fe3O4/GEM@DPM nanoparticles were prepared and structurally characterised, then their drug loading and entrapment efficiency were calculated, and in vitro drug release and cytotoxicity assays were performed. In addition to that, mesoporous silica nanorods were prepared and structurally characterised for cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and reactive oxygen species detection. The mesoporous silica nanoparticles were spherical in shape and possessed a unique core-shell structure. The prepared nanoparticles had good entrapment efficiency and drug loading, and exibited pharmacotoxic and phototoxic effects on cells. The mesoporous silica nanorods were taken up by pancreatic cancer cells and exbitied cytotoxicity. Mesoporous silica-based nano-drug co-delivery system, which carries GEM, is an effective targeted drug delivery system to provide new research ideas for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer, Gemcitabine, Magnetic nanocomposites, Photodynamic therapy, Targeted drug delivery.

Kanglaite alleviates lung squamous cell carcinoma through ferroptosis

Kanglaite, a compound predominantly composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), has been employed in the clinical treatment of adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China for decades. However, its therapeutic efficacy and specific mechanism in the treatment of squamous NSCLC remains unexplored. In this study, we demonstrate that the co-treatment with ferric ion significantly enhances the cytotoxic effects of kanglaite by inducing ferroptosis in NCL-H1703, a cell line of human lung squamous cell carcinoma. Mechanistic investigations reveal that kanglaite induces mitochondrial dysfunction resulting in reactive oxygen species (ROS) excessive production, which is critical for the induction of ferroptosis. Further analysis shows that kanglaite suppresses the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, leading to increased IP3 generation. IP3 subsequently binds to and activates IP3R, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium channel, exacerbating the excessive calcium transfer from the ER to mitochondria. The overloaded mitochondrial calcium contributes to its dysfunction and elevates ROS production. To optimize the synergistic effects of ferric ion and kanglaite, we develop a mesoporous silica-based nanodrug delivery system co-loaded with Kanglaite and Fe3O4, which offers several notable advantages, including reduced drug dosage and a faster therapeutic onset. Finally, in an NCL-H1703 xenograft model, the DMSN/Fe3O4-Kanglaite nanodrug significantly inhibited tumor growth. In conclusion, we identified the function and mechanism of kanglaite in treatment of squamous NSCLC and have developed a DMSN/Fe3O4-Kanglaite nanodrug, providing a superior therapeutic approach for the treatment of squamous NSCLC.

Thiacloprid-silica nano-delivery system enhances toxicity against Aphis gossypii and improves non-target biosafety

Nanotechnology aligns with the requirements of sustainable development of agriculture, and nano-pesticides offer a promising approach to controlling agricultural pests and increasing productivity. Non-target predators also play a crucial role in pest controls and enhancing the efficacy of pesticide on target organisms. Reducing the toxicity of pesticides to non-target organisms is key to of coordinating chemical control and biological control methods. Therefore, it is essential to assess the toxicity of nano-pesticides on non-target predators. In this study, a carbon dots-doped mesoporous silica nano-delivery system (Thi@CD-MSN) was successfully developed using CD-MSN as carrier material and thiacloprid (Thi) as a model pesticide. The results demonstrated that the synthesized Thi@CD-MSN exhibited a relatively high loading efficiency (33.58%). Laboratory bioassay experiments revealed that Thi@CD-MSN demonstrated effective insecticidal activity (LC50 = 21.67 mg/L) in controlling Aphis gossypii Glover. Besides, the acute toxicity of Thi@CD-MSN on Chrysoperla pallens larvae was significantly lower than that of Thi, as was its toxicity to 4T1 cells. These findings suggest that CD-MSN can serve as an ecological safety carrier for pesticide delivery, improving the effective utilization of Thi while reducing the risks to non-target predators. These results are essential for comprehending the effects of nano-pesticides on non-target predators, providing informative data for implementing biological and chemical control strategies. It strengthens the safety evaluation of nano-pesticides.

Inhibitory impact of a mesoporous silica nanoparticle-based drug delivery system on Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced bone resorption

Controlling and reducing plaque formation plays a pivotal role in preventing and treating periodontal disease, often utilizing antibacterial drugs to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), an FDA-approved inorganic nanomaterial, possess robust physical and chemical properties, such as adjustable pore size and pore capacity, easy surface modification, and high biosafety. Numerous studies have exploited MSN to regulate drug release and facilitate targeted delivery. This study aimed to synthesize an MSN-tetracycline (MSN-TC) complex and investigate its inhibitory potential on Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis)-induced bone resorption. The antibacterial efficacy of MSN-TC was evaluated through bacterial culture experiments. A P. gingivalis-induced bone resorption model was constructed by subcutaneously injecting P. gingivalis around the cranial bone of rats. Micro-computed tomography was employed to assess the inhibitory impact of MSN and MSN-TC on bone resorption. Furthermore, the influence of MSN and MSN-TC on osteoclast differentiation was examined in vitro. The MSN exhibited optimal pore size and particle dimensions for effective loading and gradual release of TC. MSN-TC demonstrated significant bacteriostatic activity against P. gingivalis. MSN-TC-treated rats showed significantly reduced cranial bone tissue destruction compared to MSN or TC-treated rats. Additionally, both MSN and MSN-TC exhibited inhibitory effects on the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand-mediated osteoclast differentiation. The MSN-TC complex synthesized in this study demonstrated dual efficacy by exerting antibacterial effects on P. gingivalis and by resisting osteoclast differentiation, thereby mitigating bone resorption induced by P. gingivalis.Graphical

Ordered versus Non-Ordered Mesoporous CeO2-Based Systems for the Direct Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate from CO2.

In this work, non-ordered and ordered CeO2-based catalysts are proposed for CO2 conversion to dimethyl carbonate (DMC). Particularly, non-ordered mesoporous CeO2, consisting of small nanoparticles of about 8 nm, is compared with two highly porous (635-722 m2/g) ordered CeO2@SBA-15 nanocomposites obtained by two different impregnation strategies (a two-solvent impregnation method (TS) and a self-combustion (SC) method), with a final CeO2 loading of 10 wt%. Rietveld analyses on XRD data combined with TEM imaging evidence the influence of the impregnation strategy on the dispersion of the active phase as follows: nanoparticles of 8 nm for the TS composite vs. 3 nm for the SC composite. The catalytic results show comparable activities for the mesoporous ceria and the CeO2@SBA-15_SC nanocomposite, while a lower DMC yield is found for the CeO2@SBA-15_TS nanocomposite. This finding can presumably be ascribed to a partial obstruction of the pores by the CeO2 nanoparticles in the case of the TS composite, leading to a reduced accessibility of the active phase. On the other hand, in the case of the SC composite, where the CeO2 particle size is much lower than the pore size, there is an improved accessibility of the active phase to the molecules of the reactants.

Candesartan Cilexetil Formulations in Mesoporous Silica: Preparation, Enhanced Dissolution In Vitro, and Oral Bioavailability In Vivo

Candesartan cilexetil (CC) is one of well-tolerated antihypertensive drugs, while its poor solubility and low bioavailability limit its use. Herein, two mesoporous silica (Syloid XDP 3150 and Syloid AL-1 FP) and the corresponding amino-modified products (N-XDP 3150 and N-AL-1 FP) have been selected as the carriers of Candesartan cilexetil to prepare solid dispersion through solvent immersion, and characterized through using powder X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, etc. The state of CC changed from crystalline to amorphous after loading onto the silica carriers, in which no interactions between CC and silica existed. Then, the dissolution behaviors in vitro were studied through using flow-through cell dissolution method. CC-XDP 3150 sample exhibited the most extensive dissolution, and the cumulative release of CC from it was 1.88-fold larger than that of CC. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic results in rats revealed that the relative bioavailability of CC-XDP 3150 and CC-N-XDP 3150 solid dispersions were estimated to be 326 % % and 238 % % in comparison with CC, respectively. Clearly, pore size, pore volume, and surface properties of silica carrier have remarkable effect on loading, dissolution and bioavailability of CC. In brief, this work will provide valuable information in construction of mesoporous silica-based delivery system toward poorly water-soluble drugs.

Construction of quaternary ammonium nitroxy-hybrid magnetic mesoporous silica adsorbent system and its selective adsorption research of Re(Ⅶ)/Cu(Ⅱ)

This study focussed on the development of a quaternary ammonium nitroxy-hybrid magnetic mesoporous silica adsorption system (Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-N-ACE, Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-2N@ACE and Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-DE) was established with adsorption structures consisting of 1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxa-16-azacyclooctadecane (N-ACE), 1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane (2N-ACE) and a similar linear structure, 3,6-dioxy-1,8-octylenediamine (DE) for the selective separation of Re/Cu. The composites were characterized by Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), Energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS), X-ray Diffraction(XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurements. The characterization of composites exhibits mesoporous and rich functional groups. The experimental results demonstrated that the Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-2N@ACE and Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-DE possessed superior adsorption capacities of Re(VII) in a wide acidic environment (pH=3–6). The maximum adsorption capacity of Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-2N@ACE and Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-DE were respectively up to 331.77 mg·g−1, 395.54 mg·g−1 at pH 5.0. Furthermore, the adsorption rate of these adsorbents was fast for only 2 h to absorb more than 80 % of Re(VII). Notably, when Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-2N@ACE and Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-DE were added into the rhenium copper binary solution with the concentration ratio from 1:1 and 1:50, the Re (Ⅶ) / Cu (Ⅱ) selectivity was constantly excellent (SelRe/Cu value > 1.46, SelRe/Cu max = 4.96). After 5 desorption processes for Re (Ⅶ) with 3 mol·L−1 NaCl and 1 mol·L−1 NaCl, respectively, the adsorption efficiency decreased by less than 10 % at Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-2N@ACE and Fe3O4@MS-SiO2@3-CPTES@Tetra-DE. The adsorption mechanism between the adsorbents and Re(VII) was mainly electrostatic interaction and ion exchange through TEM-EDS, FT-IR, and XPS. This novel adsorption system had a promising application in the selective separation of Re(VII)/Cu(Ⅱ).

A new strategy for immobilization of copper on the Fe3O4@EDTA nanocomposite and its efficient catalytic applications in reduction and one-pot reductive acetylation of nitroarenes and also N-acetylation of arylamines

A new and efficient Cu(II)-containing mesoporous nanocatalytic system was synthesized by direct immobilization of copper metal powder on the Fe3O4@EDTA nanocomposite. The as-prepared Fe3O4@EDTA@Cu(II) nanocomposite was then characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, SEM-based EDX and elemental mapping, XPS, TGA, VSM, and also BET and BJH analyses. The resulting Fe3O4@EDTA@Cu(II) mesoporous nanocomposite exhibited satisfactory catalytic activity towards the reduction and one-pot reductive acetylation of nitroarenes and also N-acetylation of arylamines in water at 60 °C. Notably, the applied Cu(II)-containing nanocatalyst was efficiently recovered from the reaction mixture using an external magnetic field and could be reused successfully for five cycles. The protocol developed in this study offers several advantages in terms of mild reaction conditions, simple workflows, using water as a green solvent, and easy recovery and catalyst reuse, making it more ecologically and economically attractive.

Modification of Silica with Sucrose and Ammonium Fluoride Agents: A Facile Route to Prepare Supports of Iridium Catalysts for Hydrogenation Reaction.

Mesoporous silica materials were synthesized using inexpensive and environmentally friendly sucrose as a porogeneous agent. It was found that the presence of sucrose and the products of its chemical transformation during synthesis (e.g., furfural polymer) significantly affected the structure of the obtained porous silica. The influence of synthesis conditions (pH, temperature, time) on the textural properties of the final materials was determined. Samples obtained in an acidic medium, at pH = 1, and treated at room temperature, yielded products with a large surface area and a narrow pore size distribution in the range of 2-5 nm, while the synthesis at pH = 8 allowed for the formation of mesoporous systems with pores in the range of 14-20 nm. To generate acidity, the silicas were modified with an ammonium fluoride solution and then used as supports for iridium catalysts in a hydrogenation reaction, with toluene as a model hydrocarbon. The influence of parameters such as specific surface area, support acidity, and iridium dispersion on catalytic activity was determined. It was shown that modification with sucrose improved the porous structure, and NH4F modification generated acidity. These parameters favored better reducibility and dispersion of the active phase, resulting in higher activity of the catalysts in the studied hydrogenation reaction.

Kwaśna modyfikacja gruzińskiego heulandytu naturalnego

Acid treatment is a powerful tool for improving the performance of natural zeolites, and the purpose of our work was to study chemical composition, structure and properties of acid-treated heulandite from the Tedzami-Dzegvi deposit. Samples of heulandite-containing tuff from the Rkoni plot with zeolite phase content up to 90%, consisting of heulandite and chabazite in a ratio of 8:1, and having chemical composition described by empirical formula |Na0.25K0.06Ca0.19Mg0.15)|[AlSi3.6O9.2].3H2O were treated with hydrochloric acid solutions with concentration up to 2.0 N. It was established that acid treatment leads to significant dealumination (the molar ratio of Si/Al increases from 3.6 to 9.5) and decationization (the total charge per aluminium atom decreases from 1 to 0.68), sodium and magnesium are mainly leached, calcium and potassium does not take part in the decationization process. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns show that hydrochloric acid solutions with a concentration up to 2.0 N do not lead to amorphization of the zeolite microporous crystal structure, but can gradually dissolve it. The adsorption of water vapor indicates the availability of micropores for the entry of small polar molecules, benzene adsorption shows a slight increase of hydrophobicity of the surface as a result of acid treatment. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms show acid-mediated sharp increase of adsorption in micropores and of the surface area, as well as changes in the mesoporous system, leading to the prevalence of pores with a diameter of 3 – 10 nm. The concentration of dilute solutions of hydrochloric acid is determined, which provides availability of micropores for large ions and nonpolar molecules, but at which dealumination is insignificant and ion-exchange capacity remains at a sufficient level. Materials obtained by acid treatment of heulandite can be used as adsorbents, ion exchangers, and carriers of biologically active substances and metal ions.

Photodynamic antibacterial research on hypericin-loaded PEGylated mesoporous silica delivery system

In this study, a novel drug delivery system (MSN-PEG-Hypericin) was successfully fabricated using tetraethyl orthosilicate and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as raw materials, and the PEGylation of the prepared aminated mesoporous silica and grafting of hypericin onto the carrier were further conducted to obtain MSN-PEG-Hypericin. The successful preparation of MSN-PEG-Hypericin was characterized by several physical-chemical techniques. Furthermore, the MSN-PEG-Hypericin system increased the ability of hypericin to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro. The cytotoxicity assay and hemolysis analysis showed that MSN-PEG-Hypericin had good biocompatibility. For antibacterial studies, the irradiation time and incubation time of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for S. aureus and E. coli were respectively 8 min and 8 h, and the concentrations of hypericin were 2.5 and 5 μg/mL. The result of triphenyl tetrazolium chloride assay indicated that MSN-PEG-Hypericin had stronger photodynamic antibacterial activity than free hypericin, and S. aureus was more sensitive to PDT than E. coli, which was related to their cell structural differences. The antibacterial mechanism study indicated that the generated ROS could destroy the bacterial structures and cause bacterial death due to the leakage of the contents. The MSN-PEG-Hypericin system prepared in this study had potential application prospects in the antibacterial field.

Development of Ac2-26 Mesoporous Microparticle System as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) disrupt the intestinal epithelium, leading to severe chronic inflammation. Current therapies cause adverse effects and are expensive, invasive, and ineffective for most patients. Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is a pivotal endogenous anti-inflammatory and tissue repair protein in IBD. Nanostructured compounds loading AnxA1 or its active N-terminal mimetic peptides improve IBD symptomatology. To further explore their potential as a therapeutic candidate, the AnxA1 N-terminal mimetic peptide Ac2-26 was incorporated into SBA-15 ordered mesoporous silica and covered with EL30D-55 to deliver it by oral treatment into the inflamed gut. The systems SBA-Ac2-26 developed measurements revealed self-assembled rod-shaped particles, likely on the external surface of SBA-15, and 88% of peptide incorporation. SBA-15 carried the peptide Ac2-26 into cultured Raw 264.7 macrophages and Caco-2 epithelial cells. Moreover, oral administration of Eudragit-SBA-15-Ac2-26 (200 μg; once a day; for 4 days) reduced colitis clinical symptoms, inflammation, and improved epithelium recovery in mice under dextran-sodium sulfate-induced colitis. The absorption of SBA-15 in gut epithelial cells is typically low; however, the permeable inflamed barrier can enable microparticles to cross, being phagocyted by macrophages. These findings suggest that Ac2-26 is successfully delivered and binds to its receptors in both epithelial and immune cells, aligning with the clinical results. Our findings demonstrate a simple and cost-effective approach to delivering Ac2-26 orally into the inflamed gut, highlighting its potential as non-invasive IBD therapy.

Rod-shaped hollow mesoporous silica drug delivery system: synthetic design, ibuprofen delivery, and optical imaging

Rod-shaped hollow mesoporous silica drug delivery system: synthetic design, ibuprofen delivery, and optical imaging

Mesoporous zinc oxide-based drug delivery system offers an antifungal and immunoregulatory strategy for treating keratitis

Fungal keratitis is a refractory eye disease that is prone to causing blindness. Fungal virulence and inflammatory responses are two major factors that accelerate the course of fungal keratitis. However, the current antifungal drugs used for treatment usually possess transient residence time on the ocular surface and low bioavailability deficiencies, which limit their therapeutic efficacy. In this work, natamycin (NATA)-loaded mesoporous zinc oxide (Meso-ZnO) was synthesized for treating Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis with excellent drug-loading and sustained drug release capacities. In addition to being a carrier for drug delivery, Meso-ZnO could restrict fungal growth in a concentration-dependent manner, and the transcriptome analysis of fungal hyphae indicated that it inhibited the mycotoxin biosynthesis, oxidoreductase activity and fungal cell wall formation. Meso-ZnO also promoted cell migration and exhibited anti-inflammatory role during fungal infection by promoting the activation of autophagy. In mouse models of fungal keratitis, Meso-ZnO/NATA greatly reduced corneal fungal survival, alleviated tissue inflammatory damage, and reduced neutrophils accumulation and cytokines expression. This study suggests that Meso-ZnO/NATA can be a novel and effective treatment strategy for fungal keratitis.

Quercetin-loaded mesoporous nano-delivery system remodels osteoimmune microenvironment to regenerate alveolar bone in periodontitis via the miR-21a-5p/PDCD4/NF-κB pathway

BackgroundImpaired osteo-/angiogenesis, excessive inflammation, and imbalance of the osteoimmune homeostasis are involved in the pathogenesis of the alveolar bone defect caused by periodontitis. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of ideal therapeutic strategies for periodontitis that can regenerate the alveolar bone while remodeling the osteoimmune microenvironment. Quercetin, as a monomeric flavonoid, has multiple pharmacological activities, such as pro-regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Despite its vast spectrum of pharmacological activities, quercetin’s clinical application is limited due to its poor water solubility and low bioavailability.ResultsIn this study, we fabricated a quercetin-loaded mesoporous bioactive glass (Quercetin/MBG) nano-delivery system with the function of continuously releasing quercetin, which could better promote the bone regeneration and regulate the immune microenvironment in the alveolar bone defect with periodontitis compared to pure MBG treatment. In particular, this nano-delivery system effectively decreased injection frequency of quercetin while yielding favorable therapeutic results. In view of the above excellent therapeutic effects achieved by the sustained release of quercetin, we further investigated its therapeutic mechanisms. Our findings indicated that under the periodontitis microenvironment, the intervention of quercetin could restore the osteo-/angiogenic capacity of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), induce immune regulation of macrophages and exert an osteoimmunomodulatory effect. Furthermore, we also found that the above osteoimmunomodulatory effects of quercetin via macrophages could be partially blocked by the overexpression of a key microRNA——miR-21a-5p, which worked through inhibiting the expression of PDCD4 and activating the NF-κB signaling pathway.ConclusionIn summary, our study shows that quercetin-loaded mesoporous nano-delivery system has the potential to be a therapeutic approach for reconstructing alveolar bone defects in periodontitis. Furthermore, it also offers a new perspective for treating alveolar bone defects in periodontitis by inhibiting the expression of miR-21a-5p in macrophages and thereby creating a favorable osteoimmune microenvironment.Graphical

Three Types of the Two-Phase Surface Tension of Molecules in Mesoporous Systems and Methods for Their Calculation

Three Types of the Two-Phase Surface Tension of Molecules in Mesoporous Systems and Methods for Their Calculation

Folic acid receptor conjugated mesoporous CaCO3 nanoformulation for the therapeutic potential against lung carcinoma

The folic acid conjugation with the nanocarrier system possess enhanced targeting of lung cancer cells due to the folate receptors present in the lung cancer cells. This work plan focused on the development of a mesoporous CaCO3 nanoformulation system for the targeted delivery of citronellyl acetate for lung cancer therapy. CaCO3 nanoparticles were obtained from the marine conch waste and the citronellyl acetate an acetic ester derivative of citronellol reported for its anticancer potential were used for the present study. Here the citronellyl acetate loaded CaCO3 formulation was surface conjugated with folic acid as an extension of our previous work. The physiochemical and material characterizations of folic acid conjugated nanoformulation confirms the loading of citronellyl acetate within CaCO3 nanoparticles and surface conjugation with folic acid. The folic receptor conjugated CaCO3 nanoformulation attained anticancer potential against H460 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines with the IC50 value at 102.09 ± 0.25 μg/mL. In addition, the receptor-conjugated nanoformulation withstands its biocompatibility level in the in-vitro and in-vivo toxicity evaluation models. The findings of this study suggest that, CaCO3 nanoformulation surface conjugated with folic acid can serve as a progressive drug delivery system for lung cancer therapy.

Controlled formation of multi-scale porosity in ionosilica templated by ionic liquid.

Mesoporous systems are ubiquitous in membrane science and applications due to their high internal surface area and tunable pore size. A new synthesis pathway of hydrolytic ionosilica films with mesopores formed by ionic liquid (IL) templating is proposed and compared with the traditional non-hydrolytic strategy. For both pathways, the multi-scale formation of pores has been studied as a function of IL content, combining the results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), nitrogen sorption, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The combination of TGA and nitrogen sorption provides access to ionosilica and pore volume fractions, with contributions of meso- and macropores. We then elaborate an original and quantitative geometrical model to analyze the SAXS data based on small spheres (Rs = 1-2 nm) and cylinders (Lcyl = 10-20 nm) with radial polydispersity provided by the nitrogen sorption isotherms. As a result, we found that for a given incorporation of a templating IL, both synthesis pathways produce very similar pore geometries, but the better incorporation efficacy of the new hydrolytic films provides higher mesoporosity. Our combined study provides a coherent view of mesopore geometry, and thereby an optimization pathway of porous ionic membranes in terms of accessible mesoporosity contributing to the specific surface. Possible applications include electrolyte membranes with improved ionic properties, e.g., in fuel cells and batteries, as well as molecular storage.

Abalone shell-derived Mg-doped mesoporous hydroxyapatite microsphere drug delivery system loaded with icariin for inducing apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) porous microspheres with very high specific surface area and drug loading capacity, as well as excellent biocompatibility, have been widely used in tumour therapy. Mg2+ is considered to be a key factor in bone regeneration, acting as an active agent to stimulate bone and cartilage formation, and is effective in accelerating cell migration and promoting angiogenesis, which is essential for bone tissue repair, anti-cancer, and anti-infection. In this study, abalone shells from a variety of sources were used as raw materials, and Mg2+-doped abalone shell-derived mesoporous HAP microspheres (Mg-HAP) were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis as Mg2+/ icariin smart dual delivery system (ICA-Mg-HAP, IMHA). With increasing of Mg2+ doping, the surface morphology of HAP microspheres varied from collapsed macroporous to mesoporous to smooth and non-porous, which may be due to Mg2+ substitution or coordination in the HAP lattice. At 30% Mg2+ doping, the Mg-HAP microspheres showed a more homogeneous mesoporous morphology with a high specific surface area (186.06 m2/g). The IMHA microspheres showed high drug loading (7.69%) and encapsulation rate (83.29%), sustained Mg2+ release for more than 27 days, sustained and stable release of icariin for 60 hours, and good responsiveness to pH (pH 6.4 > pH 5.6). In addition, the IMHA delivery system stimulated the rapid proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and induced apoptosis in MG63 cells by blocking the G2 phase cycle of osteosarcoma cells and stimulating the high expression of apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, caspase-3, -8, -9). This suggests that the abalone shell-based IMHA may have potential applications in drug delivery and tumour therapy.

Colorimetric sensing for the sensitive detection of UO22+via the phosphorylation functionalized mesoporous silica-based controlled release system.

In this study, we developed a simple and sensitive colorimetric sensing method for the detection of UO22+, which was built to release MB from the molybdenum disulfide with a phosphate group (MoS2-PO4) gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized phosphate group (MSN-PO4) with UO22+ chelating. In the presence of UO22+, MoS2-PO4 can be effectively adsorbed onto the surface of MSN-PO4 based on the coordination chemistry for strong affinity between the P-O bond and UO22+. The adsorbed MoS2-PO4 was then utilized as an ideal gate material to control the release of signal molecules (MB) entrapped within the pores of MSN-PO4, resulting in a detectable decrease in the absorption peak at 663 nm. This colorimetric sensing demonstrated the advantages of simplicity and easy manipulation and exhibited a linear response to the concentration of UO22+ within the range of 0.02-0.2 μM. The detection limit of UO22+ was determined to be 0.85 nM, which was lower than the limit (130 nmol L-1) set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Furthermore, the proposed colorimetric sensing method has been utilized to determine UO22+ in samples of Xiangjiang River and tap water, and a high recovery rate was achieved. This method shows promising potential in preventing and controlling environmental pollution.