Oxidation-triggered release of fluorescent molecules or drugs from mesoporous Si microparticles

The fluorescent dye Alexa Fluor 488 or the anticancer drug doxorubicin is attached to the surface and inner pore walls of mesoporous Si particles by covalent attachment, and the oxidation-induced release of each molecule is studied. The molecules are bound to the Si matrix using a 10-undecenoic acid linker, which is attached by thermal hydrosilylation. Loading capacity of the microparticles using this method is approximately 0.5 and 45 mg/g of porous Si microparticle for Alexa Fluor 488 and doxorubicin, respectively. The Si-C-bound assembly is initially stable in aqueous solution, although oxidation of the underlying Si matrix results in conversion to silicon oxide and slow release of the linker-molecule complex by hydrolysis of the Si-O attachment points. When the attached molecule is a fluorophore (Alexa Fluor 488 or doxorubicin), its fluorescence is effectively quenched by the semiconducting silicon matrix. As the particle oxidizes in water, the fluorescence intensity of the attached dye increases due to growth of the insulating silicon oxide layer and, ultimately, dye release from the surface. The recovery of fluorescence in the microparticle and the release of the molecule into solution are monitored in real-time by fluorescence microscopy. Both processes are accelerated by introduction of the oxidizing species peroxynitrite to the aqueous solution. The oxidation-triggered release of the anticancer drug doxorubicin to HeLa cells is demonstrated.