Self-sealing chemistry of calcium/magnesium silicate on porous silicon nanoparticles for enhanced drug-loading and slowed drug-releasing

Porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNP) have gained much attention in the biomedical field due to their high biocompatibility, high drug loading efficiency, and easy surface modification. However, pSiNP are easily degraded in biological media, which is the limitation to applying to the sustained drug release system. In this study, we prepared a new pSiNP-based nano-formulation (Ca/Mg-pSiNP) using self-sealing chemistry of calcium ion (Ca2+) and magnesium ion (Mg2+), and characterized its drug release profiles. Ca/Mg-pSiNP could incorporate the drug with high loading efficiency, and its degradation rate was slowed compared with the pristine pSiNP or Ca-sealed/Mg-sealed pSiNP in biological media. This work offers a sustained released property in a long-term drug delivery system using pSiNP.