Application of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
Application of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
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Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
Introduction
Nanotechnology refers to research and development of technology conducted at the
nanoscale level to create materials, structures, and systems with improved functionalities and
properties (Devi & Dhanalakshmi, 2012). The new properties of these materials have improved
their properties such as reactivity, electrical conductivity, and much more. This paper provides as
review of the applications of nanotechnology in various fields and in particular Mesoporous
silica nanoparticles. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles have found application in various setting
and this paper reviews the material’s application in the detection of glucose, bio mimicking, and
diagnosis and imaging. The application in the detection of microorganisms and detection of
cancer are also discussed herein.
Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles in Detecting Microorganisms
Rapid selective detection of bacteria and the subsequent degradation of the pathogenic
bacteria have biomedical, defense, and environmental significance. Biosensors that have been
improved using nanotechnology have improved ultra-sensitiveness, cost-effective, and offer
faster detection over conventional detectors (Izquierdo-Barba, Manzano, Colilla, & Vallet-Regí,
2008). Micro and mesoporous silica are porous and have optical transparency (Trewyn, Giri,
Slowing, & Lin, 2007). These properties allow encapsulation of large amounts of sensing
molecules in each particle and optical detection in layers of material (Trewyn, Giri, Slowing, &
Lin, 2007). These properties represent added functionalities that the material have and enables
their application in biosensors.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are Gram-negative bacteria that have been studied widely
(Mathelié-Guinlet, et al., 2016). Among these studies, it has been determined several
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Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
nanomaterials composed of metal oxides, silver, and others are bactericidal towards E. coli.
These nanomaterials can disrupt the integrity of the membrane and prevent the production of
reactive oxygen species. The biosensor containing the mesoporous silica nanoparticles in form of
SiO2-NPs can then be used to detect the bacteria. With modifications will allow the E. coli
detection to be estimated using cyclic voltammetry and measurements of QCM-D using oxydo-
reduction reactions and frequency shifts of mass deposition and dissipation respectively
(Hasanzadeh, NasrinShadjou, Guardiac, Eskandani, & Sheikhzadeh, 2012). The nanomaterial in
this case allows the investigation into the effects of antibacterial agents on cell behavior and the
integrity and elasticity of the cell membrane.
Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery
Drug delivery systems have embraced nanotechnology due to the high surface areas and
pore volumes in the silica materials (Hurley, 2011). The mesopore adsorbs the new molecules to
its surface without the help of any functional group to control the release of the adsorbed
substance (Kwon, Singh, Perez, Neel, Kim, & Chrzanowski, 2013). One study determined that a
mesoporous structure with pores shaped liked channels and packed hexagonally could load more
drug molecules and release them over a considerable duration of time (Trewyn, Giri, Slowing, &
Lin, 2007).
Oxides of gold and iron have been used extensively in anti-cancer therapy in combination
with other biomolecules. The nanoparticles of the two metals demonstrate great properties such
as controlled drug release, reduction of dose used in conventional methods, and systemic
absorption of cytotoxic drugs by guiding them to the target tumor cells (Kwon, Singh, Perez,
Neel, Kim, & Chrzanowski, 2013). However, these nanoparticles have poor solubility and high
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