UC Riverside

Nanomachines activated by a pH change can be combined with polymer coatings on mesoporous silica nanoparticles to produce a new generation of nanoparticles for drug delivery that exhibits properties of both components. The nanovalves can trap cargos inside the mesoporous silica nanoparticles without premature release and only respond to specific stimuli, resulting in a high local concentration of drugs at the site of release. The polymer surface coatings can increase the cellular uptake, avoid the reticuloendothelial uptake, provide protected space for storing siRNA, and enhance the biodistribution of nanoparticles. Two nanovalve-polymer systems are designed and their successful assembly is confirmed by solid state NMR and thermogravimetric analysis. The fluorescence spectroscopy results demonstrate that the controlled release functions of the nanomachines in both of the systems are not hindered by the polymer surface coatings. These new multifunctional nanoparticles combining stimulated molecule release together with the functionality provided by the polymers produce enhanced biological properties and multi-task drug delivery applications.