Large-Pore Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas as Advanced Bactericide Platforms.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) offer versatile hybrid platforms.
• The antibacterial potential of PMOs remains largely unexplored.
• Developing novel drug delivery systems is crucial for combating bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize large-pore phenylene-bridged PMOs mesostructured by polyion complex (PIC) micelles (PICPMOs).
• To incorporate the antibiotic neomycin B directly into the PICPMO structure during synthesis.
• To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of the engineered PICPMOs against pathogenic bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of phenylene-bridged PMOs using polyion complex (PIC) micelles.
• Direct encapsulation of neomycin B within the PICPMO framework.
• Characterization of PICPMO structure, mesoporosity, and drug release kinetics.
• Testing antibacterial activity against *Escherichia coli*.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized well-ordered hexagonal mesophase PICPMOs with large mesopores (8 nm).
• Demonstrated direct encapsulation of neomycin B within the PICPMO structure.
• Observed pH-triggered drug delivery capabilities.
• Confirmed significant antibacterial activity against pathogenic *Escherichia coli*.

Conclusions:

• Engineered PICPMOs incorporating neomycin B show potential as effective antibacterial agents.
• The large mesopores and pH-triggered release facilitate efficient drug delivery.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for developing new antimicrobial materials.