A selective drug-release system consisting of surface-modified electrospun carbon fibers by oxy/fluorination

A selective drug-release system was prepared for a controlled drug release between hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs by using a prepared membrane. A membrane was constructed by electrospun carbon fibers. A porous structure was created in the carbon fibers by chemical activation to reduce the initial drug-burst phenomenon by drug storage in the pores. The surface of the activated carbon fibers was modified by the addition of hydrophobic/hydrophilic functional groups by oxyfluorination or fluorination treatments to allow the selective release of mixed hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. The in vitro drug permeation was studied under various applied electric voltages. The initial drug-release phenomenon was reduced due to the storage effect by the improved pore structure, and the drug-release rate was controlled by the intensity of the applied electric voltage. In addition, selective drug release was observed with the presence of the hydrophobic or hydrophilic functional groups introduced through oxyfluorination or fluorination treatments.