Research on redox-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with PEG via a disulfide bond linker as drug carrier materials

In this paper, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG, Mw = 1000 and 5000 Da) via a disulfide bond linker (named as MSNs-SS-PEG 1000 and MSNs-SS-PEG 5000 , respectively) as the novel drug delivery carrier was successfully synthesized. The particle size, surface structural properties, and pore size of these materials were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both MSNs-SS-PEG 1000 and MSNs-SS-PEG 5000 exhibited the spherical particles with an average diameter of about 200 nm, typical micropore structures, and intact pore interconnection. Moreover, the releases of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) from these materials in different concentrations of glutathione (GSH) were investigated. The release of DOX from MSNs-SS-PEG 1000 and MSNs-SS-PEG 5000 revealed the redox-responsive characteristic and the drug release content increased with the increase of GSH concentration. Therefore, MSNs-SS-PEG might be a promising carrier material in delivering anticancer drugs.