title: In vitro degradation behavior of silica nanoparticles under physiological conditions.
abstract: Understanding the degradability of silica nanoparticles is significant for the rational design of desired nanomaterials for various biomedical applications. However, the effect of the intrinsic properties of silica nanoparticles, such as particle shape, surface chemistry, and porosity, on kinetic degradation process under different extrinsic conditions has still received little attention. Herein, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with different aspect ratios (ARs, 1, 2, and 4), the corresponding PEG-functionalized MSNs, and amorphous Stöber spherical silica nanoparticles were specially designed and their degradation was evaluated in in vitro simulated physiological media. The results show that shape, surface properties and porosity of nanoparticles, as well as the component of simulated physiological media, play important roles in tuning the degradation kinetics and behaviors. Sphere-shaped MSNs have a faster degradation rate than rod-shaped counterparts. Naked MSNs are eroded from particle external surface, while PEGylated MSNs from interior of particles. And spherical MSNs display more extensive degradation than amorphous silica nanoparticles. The presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) can accelerate the degradation process. These results can provide useful guidelines for the rational design of silica nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Application of Nanomaterials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Nanjing
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Huiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Linlin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Laifeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fangqiong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide