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Updated: May 26, 2026

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Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Graphene-Based Polyhedrons via Origami-Like Self-Folding
Published on: September 23, 2018
Graphene multilayers as gates for multi-week sequential release of proteins from surfaces
Jinkee Hong1, Nisarg J Shah, Adam C Drake
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
ACS Nano
|December 20, 2011
Summary
This study demonstrates controlled drug release using graphene oxide (GO) thin films. These nanomaterial-based films enable tunable, sequential release of therapeutics over months, improving patient treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Controlled drug release is crucial for effective patient care and simplified treatment.
- Thin film coatings offer a method for localized in vivo drug delivery.
- Nanomaterials can be engineered to precisely control drug release kinetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of graphene oxide (GO) in multilayer thin films for controlled sequential drug release.
- To tune drug release profiles from hours to months using GO barrier layers.
- To assess the in vitro toxicity of the developed materials on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of protein-loaded polyelectrolyte multilayer films using layer-by-layer assembly.
- Incorporation of hydrolytically degradable poly(β-amino ester) (Poly1) and ovalbumin (ova) protein.
- Utilizing functionalized graphene oxide (GO) capping layers to control release rates.
- In vitro toxicity assays on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
Main Results:
- Graphene oxide (GO) layers significantly extended protein release from under 1 hour to 30–90 days.
- Sequential release of multiple protein species with multi-day intervals was achieved by interspersing GO layers.
- Materials showed limited cytotoxicity, with HSCs surviving 10 days of culture in their presence.
Conclusions:
- Graphene oxide (GO) is a viable nanomaterial for creating tunable, time-controlled drug release systems in thin film formats.
- This approach enables sequential delivery of therapeutics, offering a new strategy for advanced localized dosing.
- The developed thin films present a promising solid-state platform for therapeutic storage and controlled delivery.

