Ultrahigh nanostructured drug payloads from degradable mesoporous silicon aerocrystals

Porous silicon has found increased attention as a drug delivery system due to its unique features such high payloads, surface area and biodegradation. In this study supercritical fluid (SCF) assisted drying of ultrahigh porosity (>90%) particles flakes was shown result in much higher mesopore volumes (~4.66 cm3/g) areas (~680 m2/g) than with air-drying. The loading physical state the model (S)-(+)-Ibuprofen SCF dried matrices quantified assessed using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, UV–Vis spectrophotometry, gravimetric gas adsorption electron microscopy. Internal payloads up 72% were achieved which substantially values published for both conventionally porous (17–51%) other mesoporous materials (7–45%). In-vitro degradability kinetics SCF-dried simulated media also be faster air-dried controls. in-vitro release studies provided improved but sustained dissolution at pH 2.0 7.4.