Simple preparation of photothermal nanomaterial GNR@SiO2 with enhanced drug loading content

In this study, GNRs assisted mesoporous silica nanoparticles (GNR@SiO2 NPs) are fabricated by a simple method. The mesoporous SiO2 can not only prevent the aggregation of GNRs but also provide large hollow mesoporous structure to enhance drug loading capacity. Moreover, GNRs absorb near-infrared (NIR) light and convert it into heat. The temperature of the GNR@SiO2 solution was increased to ∼60 (2 W) and 90°C (3 W) after NIR radiation. The photothermal conversion efficiency was 32.60% of GNR@SiO2 under NIR light irradiation at 2 W, while 39.01% under NIR light irradiation at 3 W. The drug loading content of GNR@SiO2 was 22.3 ± 2.5%, which was higher than that of most reported GNR drug delivery systems. The authors also found that the GNR@SiO2@ doxorubicin may have a higher drug release rate under the conditions of the tumour microenvironment. The in vitro cytotoxity of GNR@SiO2 was demonstrated on HeLa cells. The experimental results indicate that GNR@SiO2 has great potential for synergistic treatment to kill cancer cells.
Source: IET Nanobiotechnology - Category: Nanotechnology Source Type: research