1 research outputs found
Delivery Modulation in Silica Mesoporous Supports via Alkyl Chain Pore Outlet Decoration
This article focuses on the study of the release rate
in a family
of modified silica mesoporous supports. A collection of solids containing
ethyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl, octadecyl, docosyl, and triacontyl
groups anchored on the pore outlets of mesoporous MCM-41 has been
prepared and characterized. Controlled release from pore voids has
been studied through the delivery of the dye complex trisĀ(2,2ā²-bipyridyl)ĀrutheniumĀ(II).
Delivery rates were found to be dependent on the alkyl chain length
anchored on the pore outlets of the mesoporous scaffolding. Moreover,
release rates follow a Higuchi diffusion model, and Higuchi constants
for the different hybrid solids have been calculated. A decrease of
the Higuchi constants was observed as the alkyl chain used to tune
the release profile is longer, confirming the effect that the different
alkyl chains anchored into the pore mouths exerted on the delivery
of the cargo. Furthermore, to better understand the relation between
pore outlets decoration and release rate, studies using molecular
dynamics simulations employing force-field methods have been carried
out. A good agreement between the calculations and the experimental
observations was observed