Smart montmorillonite-polypyrrole scaffolds for electro-responsive drug release

Hybrids of montmorillonite (Mt) and polypyrrole (PPy) were prepared by in situ electropolymerization of pyrrole monomer in the dispersion of Mt in the presence of drug molecules (aspirin), and aspirin anions were incorporated into the Mt-PPy hybrids as dopants. The resulting drug loaded Mt-PPy was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD). The Mt-PPy hybrids combined the advantages of Mt (relatively large specific surface area) and electro-responsive feature of PPy, which was applied as an electrically tunable drug release platform. Compared with PPy, the electro-stimulated drug release behaviors were significantly enhanced at the Mt-PPy hybrids, indicating that the proposed electro-responsive hybrids might be a promising candidate for smart and intelligent drug release.