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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
Preparation of Silica Nanoparticles Through Microwave-assisted Acid-catalysis
Published on: December 16, 2013
Advanced internally bridged silica core-shell nanocarriers: Design and applications
Marzieh Heidari Nia1, Shahrzad Heidari Nia2, Jose G Munguia-Lopez3
1Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C9, Canada; Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada; Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials (QCAM) and Pulp and Paper Research Centre, McGill University, 3420 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2A7, Canada.
Researchers developed a novel core-shell silica nanomaterial for drug delivery. This pH-responsive system efficiently loaded and released doxorubicin, showing enhanced anticancer effects in cancer cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Nanomaterial-based delivery systems offer high surface area, tunable porosity, and tailored surface chemistry for efficient adsorption and controlled release.
- These platforms are versatile for therapeutic delivery and environmental remediation, improving loading capacity and release kinetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To tailor a novel core-shell silica nanomaterial with a complex internal structure for enhanced drug delivery.
- To evaluate the pH-responsive DDC colloidal hybrid carriers for controlled doxorubicin (DOX) delivery and assess their anticancer efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized an organo-silica bridging agent (DABCO-S) via nucleophilic substitution.
- Created a dendritic fibrous nanostructured silica (DFNS) core and integrated DABCO-S bridges into a silica shell, forming the DDC structure.
- Evaluated DDC carriers for doxorubicin loading, encapsulation efficiency, pH-responsive release, and in vitro anticancer activity.
Main Results:
- The DDC structure demonstrated high drug loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency for doxorubicin.
- DOX-loaded DDC carriers showed pH-responsive drug release, suitable for cellular environments.
- Cancer cells treated with DOX-loaded DDC carriers exhibited significantly lower viability, indicating enhanced anticancer effects.
Conclusions:
- The novel DDC core-shell silica nanomaterial is a promising biocompatible carrier for controlled drug delivery.
- Its pH-responsive nature and enhanced anticancer efficacy make it suitable for further development in active drug delivery systems.
- Future research should explore incorporating targeting functionalities to further improve its therapeutic potential.
