A novel graphene nanodots inlaid porous gold electrode for electrochemically controlled drug release

• A uniform graphene nanodots inlaid porous gold electrode was prepared.
• The electrode proved to be a good platform for loading of π-orbital-rich drugs.
• Electrostatic repulsion process was used to control drug release.
• Applied time, potential, and pH are critical parameters on desorption of drugs.
• The method enlightens the micro electrode as drug carrier via embedding into body.

A uniform graphene nanodots inlaid porous gold electrode was prepared via ion beam sputtering deposition (IBSD) and mild corrosion chemistry. HRTEM, SEM, AFM and XPS analyses revealed the successful fabrication of graphene nanodots inlaid porous gold electrode. The as-prepared porous electrode was used as π-orbital-rich drug loading platform to fabricate an electrochemically controlled drug release system with high performance. π  -orbital-rich drugs with amino mioety, like doxorubicin (DOX) and tetracycline (TC), were loaded into the graphene nanodots inlaid porous gold electrode via non-covalent π–π stacking interaction. The amino groups in DOX and TC can be easily protonated at acidic medium to become positively-charged NH3+, which allow these drug molecules to be desorbed from the porous electrode surface via electrostatic repulsion when positive potential is applied at the electrode. The drug loading and release experiment indicated that this graphene nanodots inlaid porous gold electrode can be used to conveniently and efficiently control the drug release electrochemically. Not only did our work provide a benign method to electrochemically controlled drug release via electrostatic repulsion process, it also enlighten the promising practical applications of micro electrode as a drug carrier for precisely and efficiently controlled drug release via embedding in the body.

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