Studies on MCM-41 mesoporous silica for drug delivery: Effect of particle morphology and amine functionalization

Mesoporous MCM-41 silica functionalized by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane grafting was studied as a potential carrier for controlled drug release, using ibuprofen as a test drug. For comparison, non-functionalized MCM-41 was also investigated. For the purpose of testing the effect of carrier morphology on drug delivery rate, MCM-41 was prepared in the form of both, a powder consisting of irregularly shaped (and sized) particles and monodispersed spheres (490 to 770 nm in diameter). Amine-functionalized MCM-41 micro-spheres were found to show a significantly slower drug release rate than irregularly shaped powders, which should facilitate drug delivery control over a longer time period.