Free-Standing Hierarchically Porous Silica Nanoparticle Superstructures: Bridging the Nano- to Microscale for Tailorable Delivery of Small and Large Therapeutics

Sandeep Palvai, Delanyo Kpeglo, George Newham, Sally A. Peyman, Stephen D. Evans, Zhan Yuin Ong*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)
31 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Nanoscale colloidal self-assembly is an exciting approach to yield superstructures with properties distinct from those of individual nanoparticles. However, the bottom-up self-assembly of 3D nanoparticle superstructures typically requires extensive chemical functionalization, harsh conditions, and a long preparation time, which are undesirable for biomedical applications. Here, we report the directional freezing of porous silica nanoparticles (PSiNPs) as a simple and versatile technique to create anisotropic 3D superstructures with hierarchical porosity afforded by microporous PSiNPs and newly generated meso- and macropores between the PSiNPs. By varying the PSiNP building block size, the interparticle pore sizes can be readily tuned. The newly created hierarchical pores greatly augment the loading of a small molecule-anticancer drug, doxorubicin (Dox), and a large macromolecule, lysozyme (Lyz). Importantly, Dox loading into both the micro- and meso/macropores of the nanoparticle assemblies not only gave a pore size-dependent drug release but also significantly extended the drug release to 25 days compared to a much shorter 7 or 11 day drug release from Dox loaded into either the micro- or meso/macropores only. Moreover, a unique temporal drug release profile, with a higher and faster release of Lyz from the larger interparticle macropores than Dox from the smaller PSiNP micropores, was observed. Finally, the formulation of the Dox-loaded superstructures within a composite hydrogel induces prolonged growth inhibition in a 3D spheroid model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This study presents a facile modular approach for the rapid assembly of drug-loaded superstructures in fully aqueous environments and demonstrates their potential as highly tailorable and sustained delivery systems for diverse therapeutics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5568-5581
Number of pages14
JournalACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume16
Issue number5
Early online date25 Jan 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Feb 2024

Keywords

  • controlled drug release
  • directional freezing
  • hierarchical porosity
  • ice-templating
  • nanoparticle superstructure
  • porous silica
  • self-assembly

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science

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