Hydrotalcite-gated hollow mesoporous silica delivery system for controlled drug release

Hollow mesoporous silica (HMS) composed of a hollow cavity and mesoporous shell available for drug storage. The MgAl-LDH as a gatekeeper coated on the HMS outer surface by the layer-by-layer selfassembly method, encapsulated the anticancer drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) within the HMS cavities and pores to get the pH-controlled drug release system (FU/HMS@LDH) for minimizing premature release of 5-FU. The structures, morphology, texture and 5-FU release behavior were characterized and investigated with various techniques. The kinetic data revealed that the targeted 5-FU release by the LDH-gated HMS release system (FU/HMS@LDH) stemmed from the dissolution of the LDH nanosheets upon decrease in pH and cleavage of the hydrogen bonds, indicating that the pH-responsive controlled release of 5-FU could be stimulated by acidic environments. These results suggested that the FU/HMS@LDH release system had the potential as an anticancer drug delivery system in targeted drug release for tumor chemotherapy.