Biomass-derived porous carbon with high drug adsorption capacity undergoes enzymatic and chemical degradation

Degradability is a key safety issue when choosing materials for biomedical applications and environmental protection. This factor greatly limits the application of porous carbon in these areas due to the inert and stable nature of carbon network. In this work, this conflict could be well-resolved by rational designing a mesoporous carbon (MC) with biomass as a carbon source. The retained oxygen-containing species simultaneously increase drug adsorption capacity and the degradability of MC. The maximum adsorption quantity for doxorubicin over MC can reach 395.3 mg/g, about 3-fold over carbon nanotubes. The detailed analysis reveals that the degradation of MC occurs via a radical mediated oxidation process. The high electron density feature of MC facilitates the electrophilic addition reaction in the presence of HO =. During this process, the carbon network is gradually degraded into fragments, carbon nanodots and ultimately to CO2. This work opens up a new way to fabricate degradable porous materials and provides a promising material for the practical application in biomedical and environmental field. (c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Degradability is a crucial factor in the selection of materials for biomedical applications and environmental protection. Researchers have addressed the limitation of porous carbon in these areas by designing a mesoporous carbon (MC) using biomass as a carbon source. The MC retains oxygen-containing species, thereby increasing drug adsorption capacity and degradability. The work demonstrates the potential of degradable porous materials for practical applications in biomedicine and the environment.