Mesoporous Silica SBA-16 Functionalized with Alkoxysilane Groups: Preparation, Characterization, and Release Profile Study

A mesoporous material sphere based on silica, SBA-16, was chemically modified with alkoxysilane using two different solvents: methanol and toluene. The influence of the chemical modification of the matrix on the release rate of a model drug was also studied. The structural characteristics of the materials were evaluated by small-angle X-ray diffraction, N-2 adsorption, and transmission electron microscopy. The functionalization of the matrix was evaluated using thermal analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, C-13 and Si-29 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and elemental analysis, CHN. The results show that alkoxysilane groups have been chemically bonded to silicon atoms on the surface of cubic Im3m mesoporous silica. The influence of the release rate of atenolol molecules from chemically modified mesoporous SBA-16 could be identified, since significant differences could be observed among the release patterns of the different materials.