Preparation of Functionalized SBA-15 Mesoporous Silica and Its Application in Drug Delivery System

Mesoporous silica is an ideal drug carrier that can be used in drug delivery system (DDS) due to its unique characterizations such as uniform and tunable pore size, large pore volume and surface area, easy functionalization, non-toxicity and good biocompatibility. It can solve the problems of traditional liposomes and polymer micelles including poor stability, uneven dispersion, premature drug degradation and elimination. As a novel mesoporous molecular sieve, SBA-15 has been widely used in DDS for its large pore size, thick pore wall, high specific surface area and orderly channel. Since a large number of silanol groups with high activity are located on the surface of SBA-15, it is easy to modify its orifice, inner and outer surface of the channel by suitable functional groups, metal ions or other materials. The functionalized SBA-15 can realize the controlled release of drugs, multi-function intelligent response and targeted treatment of anticarcinogens, which finally accomplishes the maximization of the therapeutic effect, reduction of the side effects and improvement of the bioavailability of drugs. In recent years, the applications of functionalized SBA-15 in DDS are mainly as follows: (i) improvement of the solubility and dissolution rate of drugs. For this purpose, an appropriate reagent for functionalization should be selected to modify the surface characterization of SBA-15, which results in changing the interaction between the carrier surface and drug molecules. This interaction promotes the drug adsorption and improves the solubility and dissolution rate of insoluble drugs. (ii) Uses as carriers for sustained release of drugs. The surface of SBA-15 can be modified by organic groups, metals or metal oxides to enhance the force between drugs and carrier surfaces, thus prolonging the drug release. (iii) Uses as carriers for controlled release of drugs. A controllable drug release can be achieved by constructing targeted DDS with ligand modification and internal or external stimulus-responsive DDS. In addition, SBA-15 is also widely applied in biomedical engineering, bone tissue repair, gene therapy, medical imaging, wound dressings, etc. This review introduces the preparation methods, types and characteristics of functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica, and also summarizes its applications and the latest research progress in drug delivery, aiming to provide a reference for the practical application of functionalized mesoporous silica carriers. © 2022 Cailiao Daobaoshe/ Materials Review. All rights reserved.