Controlling adsorption and release of drug and small molecules by organic functionalization of mesoporous materials

A series of mesoporous nanosphere materials that are functionalized with various terminal and bridging organic groups were synthesized. They have improved adsorption capacity and different release properties for drug and small molecules. The materials contained terminal vinyl, 3-mercaptopropyl, 3-aminopropyl, and secondary amine functional groups and bridging ethane, ethene, and benzene groups within their mesopore channel walls. The samples containing mercaptopropyl and vinyl groups showed greater adsorption capacity and better controlled release behavior for rhodamine 6G molecules. On the other hand, mesoporous matrices containing amine functional groups showed higher adsorption capacity and better release properties for ibuprofen molecules. Further studies revealed that the bridging organic groups in the mesopore channel walls also improved the adsorption capacity and release properties of the materials compared to the corresponding samples containing no bridging organic groups. Such improved adsorption and controlled release properties of molecules by simple changes of functional groups on mesoporous materials are important for the development of nanomaterial drug delivery vehicles and for controlled release of drugs over long time periods at specific targeted sites in the body. By judicious choice of organic groups and by systematic design and synthetic approaches, nanoporous materials having different adsorption capacity and release properties for many other drug molecules can also be achieved.