On-Demand Drug Delivery System Using Micro-organogels with Gold Nanorods

In this study, we designed a biocompatible drug carrier: micro-organogels prepared by emulsification using vegetable oils and self-assembled gelator fibers. Flurbiprofen was chosen as a hydrophobic model drug and is classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. In the absence of NIR light, flurbiprofen encapsulated in micro-organogels with gold nanorods (GNRs) was released slowly, while release was accelerated in the presence of NIR light due to the increase in the temperature surrounding the GNRs that transforms the gels into liquid. These results suggest that our system can be efficiently used as a versatile scaffold for on-demand drug delivery systems.