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Hybrid catalysts are attracting much attention, since they combine the versatility and efficiency of homogeneous organic catalysis with the robustness and thermal stability of solid materials, for example, mesoporous silica; in addition, they can be used in cascade reactions, for exploring both organic and inorganic catalysis at the same time. Despite the importance of the organic/inorganic interface in these materials, the effect of the grafting architecture on the final conformation of the organic layer (and hence its reactivity) is still largely unexplored. Here, we investigate a series of organosiloxanes comprising a pyridine ring (the catalyst model) and different numbers of alkylsiloxane chains used to anchor it to the MCM-41 surface. The hybrid interfaces are characterized with X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance techniques and are modeled theoretically through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, to determine the relationship between the number of chains and the average position of the pyridine group; MD simulations also provide some insights about temperature and solvent effects.

The synthesis and characterization of novel luminescent amorphous POSS-based polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) with Tb

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials find many applications in catalysis, nanotechnology, electronics, and many others. Grafting organic functionalities on inorganic supports is one of the most used methods for their preparation. Toluene is the solvent of choice for the grafting reaction, but it is fossil fuel-derived and not devoid of toxic effects. In this work, we explore the use of sustainable alternatives

A designed N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst was covalently anchored on a range of mesoporous and hierarchical supports, to study the influence of pore size in the benzoin condensation of furfural. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the anchored catalysts were investigated, also with the help of molecular dynamics simulations, in order to rationalize the degree of stability and recyclability of the heterogenized organocatalysts. Quantitative yields (99 %) and complete recyclability were maintained after several cycles, vindicating the design rationale.

[Image: see text] A recently developed synthetic protocol allowed for the functionalization of the active peptide A9 with a fluorogenic probe, which is useful for studying biomolecular interactions. Essentially, a nucleophilic attack on a halo-substituted benzofurazan is selectively performed by a cysteine sulfhydryl group. The process is assisted by the basic catalysis of activated zeolites (4 Å molecular sieves) and promoted by microwave irradiation. Fluorescence studies revealed that a donor–acceptor pair within the peptide sequence was introduced, thus allowing a deeper investigation on the interaction process between the peptide ligand and its receptor fragment. The obtained results allowed us to come full circle for all the currently understood structural determinants that were found to be involved in the binding process.

Human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC)-based therapy is an emerging resource in regenerative medicine. Despite the innate ability of hMSCs to migrate to sites of injury, homing of infused hMSCs to the target tissue is inefficient. It was shown that silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs), previously developed to track the stem cells after transplantation, accumulated in lysosomes leading to a transient blockage of the autophagic flux. Since CXCR4 turnover is mainly regulated by autophagy, we tested the effect of SiO2-NPs on chemotactic migration of hMSCs along the SDF1α/CXCR4 axis that plays a pivotal role in directing MSC homing to sites of injury. Our results showed that SiO2-NP internalization augmented CXCR4 surface levels. We demonstrated that SiO2-NP-dependent CXCR4 increase was transient, and it reversed at the same time as lysosomal compartment normalization. Furthermore, the autophagy inhibitor Bafilomycin-A1 reproduced CXCR4 overexpression in control hMSCs confirming the direct effect of the autophagic degradation blockage on CXCR4 expression. Chemotaxis assays showed that SiO2-NPs increased hMSC migration toward SDF1α. In contrast, migration improvement was not observed in TNFα/TNFR axis, due to the proteasome-dependent TNFR regulation. Overall, our findings demonstrated that SiO2-NP internalization increases the chemotactic behaviour of hMSCs acting on the SDF1α/CXCR4 axis, unmasking a high potential to improve hMSC migration to sites of injury and therapeutic efficacy upon cell injection in vivo.

Panchromatic single-component pure white light generation with a PLQY of ∼14.5% is obtained from a dysprosium complex with the 5,7-dichloro-8-quinolinol ligand (HClQ) thanks to a peculiar orange-red excimer-like emission induced by π-staking interactions between discrete dimeric units in the crystal packing. The emission color is highly tunable by phase change and mechanical stimuli. Remarkably, this compound also displays Dy-centered NIR emission at telecommunication wavelengths upon photoexcitation over an extraordinarily broad spectral range.

Potential use of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs) [Ca

Nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia pose significant constraints in their size and composition to ensure cellular uptake and biocompatibility, while still requiring significant hysteresis losses exploitable at electromagnetic field values and intensities not exceeding safety limits for the human body. In this paper, core-shell Fe-oxide@SiO2 nanoparticles have been synthesized, and their size has been controlled so that the blocked-to-superparamagnetic transition is close to room temperature. Their size remains, therefore, as small as possible, while still displaying significant hysteresis losses in dynamic conditions (electromagnetic fields up to 48 kA/m at 100 kHz). Static loops measured by vibrating sample magnetometry and dynamic loops measured by a custom B-H tracer are used to characterize the paticles’ magnetic properties, as well as a custom-built, fully modeled, hyperthermia setup. The specific absorption rate is obtained either from static and dynamic loop areas or from direct hyperthermia measurements. Dynamic loops are shown to be a good estimator of specific absorption rate values.

Porosity and acidity are influential properties in the rational design of solid‐acid catalysts. Probing the physicochemical characteristics of an acidic zeotype framework at the molecular level can provide valuable insights in understanding intrinsic reaction pathways, for affording structure–activity relationships. Herein, we employ a variety of probe‐based techniques (including positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), FTIR and solid‐state NMR spectroscopy) to demonstrate how a hierarchical design strategy for a faujasitic (FAU) zeotype (synthesized for the first time, via a soft‐templating approach, with high phase‐purity) can be used to simultaneously modify the porosity and modulate the acidity for an industrially significant catalytic process (Beckmann rearrangement). Detailed characterization of hierarchically porous (HP) SAPO‐37 reveals enhanced mass‐transport characteristics and moderated acidity, which leads to superior catalytic performance and increased resistance to deactivation by coking, compared to its microporous counterpart, further vindicating the interplay between porosity and moderated acidity., A design‐led dual‐templating approach was used to create a hierarchical zeotype catalyst with superior mass transport properties. Advanced probe‐based characterization (including positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and probe‐based IR spectroscopy) shows how the siliceous mesoporogen modulates the porosity and moderates the acidity of the zeotype framework, leading to enhanced catalytic performance.

A smart design of hierarchical SAPO-5 acid catalyst using biomass derived monosaccharides as sustainable and low-cost mesoporogens has been developed. The hierarchical SAPO-5 was characterized by several physico-chemical techniques to elucidate structure-properties relationships and was tested as a catalyst in the MW-assisted glucose transformation in 5-HMF using γ-valerolactone (GVL) as green solvent.

The preparation of smart Ln:ZrO2@SiO2 nanoplatforms with grafted photosensitizer (Rose Bengal) which couple optical imaging with photo-dynamic therapy (PDT) is presented. A careful control of the lanthanide dopant loading is considered to enhance the photoemission properties of the lanthanide ions (Er, Pr, Yb) inside the ZrO2 crystal structure. The nanosystem with the lowest lanthanide loading maintains the size, phase and morphology of pristine ZrO2 nanoparticles and exhibit the best performances in term of the overall luminescence properties. Upon functionalization with a silica shell to covalently bound Rose Bengal, a theranostic platform is prepared which is very efficient in singlet oxygen generation, as demonstrated by EPR and UV–vis spectroscopy studies. Preliminary cell viability tests show that while both pristine and Ln doped ZrO2 nanoparticles do not exert cytotoxicity, neither upon illumination nor in dark condition, Rose Bengal grafted samples are able to significantly reduce cell viability under light exposure, thus confirming the high potential of these nanoparticles as PDT tools.

The grafting of imidazole species onto coordinatively unsaturated sites within metal organic framework MIL‐101(Cr) enables enhanced CO 2 capture in close proximity to catalytic sites. The subsequent combination of CO 2 and epoxide binding sites, as shown through theoretical findings, significantly improves the rate of cyclic carbonate formation, producing a highly active CO 2 utilization catalyst. An array of spectroscopic investigations, in combination with theoretical calculations reveal the nature of the active sites and associated catalytic mechanism which validates the careful design of the hybrid MIL‐101(Cr).

A smart design of hierarchical SAPO-5 acid catalyst using biomass derived monosaccharides as sustainable and low-cost mesoporogens has been developed. The hierarchical SAPO-5 was characterized by several physico-chemical techniques to elucidate structure–properties relationships and was tested as a catalyst in the MW-assisted glucose transformation in 5-HMF using γ-valerolactone (GVL) as green solvent.

Pharmaceutical active compounds, including hundreds of different substances, are counted among the emerging contaminants in waterbodies, whose presence raises a growing concern for the ecosystem. Drugs are metabolized and excreted mainly through urine as an unchanged active ingredient or in the form of metabolites. These emerging contaminants are not effectively removed with the technologies currently in use, making them a relevant environmental problem. This study proposes the treatment of urine and water at the source that can allow an easier removal of dissolved drugs and metabolites. The treatment of synthetic urine, with dissolved ibuprofen as a model compound, by adsorption, using various classes of inorganic materials, such as clays, hierarchical zeolites and ordered mesoporous silica (MCM-41), is presented. A multi-technique approach involving X-ray powder diffraction, solid-state NMR, UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopies was employed to investigate the adsorption process in inorganic adsorbents. Moreover, the uptake, the ensuing competition, the efficiency and selectivity as well as the packing of the model compound in ordered mesoporous silica during the incipient wetness impregnation process were all thoroughly monitored by a novel approach, involving combined complementary time-resolved in situ 1H and 13C MAS NMR spectroscopy as well as X-ray powder diffraction.

Hybrid materials have been synthesized by anchoring a N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursor on different inorganic zeolitic supports with hierarchical porosity, in particular hierarchical HZSM-5 and SAPO-5. Hierarchical porous inorganic supports have been obtained both by top-down and bottom-up approaches and the role of hierarchical porosity has been evaluated. A detailed physico-chemical characterization has been performed on the organic–inorganic hybrids using a multi-technique approach (XRD, volumetric and thermogravimetric analysis, ssNMR and FTIR) in order to establish a structure–property relationship. The hybrids were tested in the benzoin condensation reaction of furfural, a base catalyzed reaction.

Melanoma is one of the most lethal tumors among the skin cancers, arising from complex genetic mutations in melanocyte. Melanoma microenvironment is very heterogeneous, showing complex vascular networks and immunogenicity, as well as induced acquired resistance to treatments by upregulation of multidrug resistance (MDR) mechanisms. Different studies have showed that Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) could be considered a new potential approach for melanoma treatment. PDT combines a light with a specific wavelength and a photosensitizer: when these two elements interact reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated leading to tumor cell destruction. In this study verteporfin (Ver), a second-generation photosensitizer, has been conjugated with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs): the resulting Ver-MSNs are an efficient nanoplatforms used to enhance cargo capacity and cellular uptake. Our in vitro and in vivo studies investigated whether Ver-MSNs were able to reduce or inhibit melanoma growth. In vitro experiments performed using B16F10 mouse melanoma cells showed that Ver-MSNs stimulated by red light (693 nm) significantly decreased in vitro cells proliferation in a range of concentration between 0.1 μg/ml to 10 μg/ml. When Ver-MSNs (5 μg/ml in glycerol) were topically administrated to melanoma tumor mass developed in mice and stimulated by red light for four times in 16 days, they were able to reduce the tumor mass of 50.2 ± 6,6% compared to the untreated (only glycerol) mice. In the light of this information, PDT performed using Ver-MSNs could be considered a new promising and potential approach to treat melanoma.

The organic&ndash, inorganic hybrid materials have attracted great attention due to their improved or unusual properties that open promising applications in different areas such as optics, electronics, energy, environment, biology, medicine and heterogeneous catalysis. Different types of silicodactyl platforms grafted on silica inorganic supports can be used to synthesize hybrid materials. A careful evaluation of the dactyly of the organic precursors, normally alkoxysilanes, and of the type of interaction with the inorganic supports is presented. In fact, depending on the hydrophilicity of the silica surface (e.g., number and density of surface silanols) as well as on the grafting conditions, the hydrolysis and condensation reaction of the silylated moieties can involve only one or two out of three alkoxysilane groups. The influence of silicodactyly in the preparation of organic-inorganic silica-based hybrids is studied by TGA, 29Si, 1H and 13C solid-state NMR and FTIR spectroscopies, with the support of Molecular Dynamics calculations. Computational studies are used to forecast the influence of the different grafting configurations on the tendency of the silane to stick on the inorganic surface.

[EN] Two different heterogeneous catalysts carrying aryl-sulfonic moieties, in which the aromatic ring was either fluorinated or not, were successfully synthesized. The multi-step synthetic approaches implemented involved the synthesis of the silyl-derivative, template-free one-pot co-condensation (at low temperature and neutral pH) and tethering reaction. A multi-technique approach was implemented to characterize the hybrid organic-inorganic catalysts involving TGA, N-2 physisorption analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and ss MAS NMR (H-1, C-13, Si-29) spectroscopy. Specifically, the acidity of the organosiliceous hybrid materials was studied through the adsorption of probe molecules (i.e. CO at 77 K and NH3 and TMPO at room temperature) and a combination of FTIR and ss MAS NMR spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the two hybrids was tested in the acetal formation reaction between benzaldehyde and ethylene glycol. Preliminary results indicated superior performances for the fluoro-aryl-sulfonic acid, compared to the non-fluorinated sample. The findings hereby reported open new avenues for the design of heterogeneous sulfonic acids with superior reactivity in acid-catalyzed reactions. Moreover, through the implementation of spectroscopic studies, using probe molecules, it was possible to investigate in detail the acidic properties of hybrid organosiliceous materials., AE acknowledge "la Caixa" foundation for the PhD scholarship. The authors are grateful for financial support from the European Union by the MULTY2HYCAT EU-Horizon 2020 funded project under grant agreement no. 720783.

Lead(II) acetate [Pb(Ac)2, where Ac = acetate group (CH3-COO(-))2] is a very common salt with many and varied uses throughout history. However, only lead(II) acetate trihydrate [Pb(Ac)2·3H2O] has been characterized to date. In this paper, two enantiotropic polymorphs of the anhydrous salt, a novel hydrate [lead(II) acetate hemihydrate: Pb(Ac)2·(1)/2H2O], and two decomposition products [corresponding to two different basic lead(II) acetates: Pb4O(Ac)6 and Pb2O(Ac)2] are reported, with their structures being solved for the first time. The compounds present a variety of molecular arrangements, being 2D or 1D coordination polymers. A thorough thermal analysis, by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), was also carried out to study the behavior and thermal data of the salt and its decomposition process, in inert and oxygenated atmospheres, identifying the phases and byproducts that appear. The complex thermal behavior of lead(II) acetate is now solved, finding the existence of another hydrate, two anhydrous enantiotropic polymorphs, and some byproducts. Moreover, some of them are phosphorescent at room temperature. The compounds were studied by TGA, DSC, X-ray diffraction, and UV-vis spectroscopy.

A highly efficient nanoplatform for photodynamic therapy was obtained by covalent conjugation of verteporfin with mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Verteporfin has an intense absorption band in the red region of the Vis spectrum ensuring a deeper tissue penetration; this feature makes verteporfin-based formulations particularly attractive for in vivo PDT applications. The verteporfin loading, dispersion and efficiency in the photoproduction and delivery of singlet oxygen (1O2) were carefully evaluated. In vitro tests have evidenced that the optimized nanoplatform is able to largely reduce HeLa cell proliferation after red-light irradiation.

International audience; Mesoporous ionosilicas bearing ammonium groups appear as versatile adsorbent for anionic drugs. High amounts of the anionic drugs diclofenac and sulindac are irreversibly trapped within the materials whereas neutral species are hardly adsorbed. Our results open the route towards new ionic materials for wastewater treatment via ion exchange.

A highly efficient bifunctional mesoporous silica nanodevice coupling optical imaging with photodynamic therapy (PDT) was successfully prepared by using Rhodamine B as a contrast agent and verteporfin as a photosensitizer. The precise localization and high dispersion of the contrast agent in the nanoparticles is the key point to get higher fluorescence quantum yields with respect to the fluorophore in solution. To obtain this information photoluminescence spectroscopy coupled with fluorescence lifetime measurements was used, due to its high sensitivity. The bifunctional nanodevice showed good performances both in terms of quantum yield of the anchored Rhodamine B (Φ(RhB) = 0.55) and the singlet oxygen delivery efficiency for PDT applications.

CO2 hydrogenation to dimethyl ether (DME) is a promising strategy to drive the current chemical industry towards a low-carbon scenario since DME can be used as an eco-friendly fuel as well as a platform molecule for chemical production. A Cu‒ZnO‒ZrO2/ferrierite (CZZ/FER) hybrid grain was recently proposed as a catalyst for CO2-to-DME one-pot conversion exhibiting high DME productivity thanks to the unique shape-selectivity offered by ferrierite zeolite. Nevertheless, such a catalyst deactivates but no direct evidence has been reported of activity loss over time. In this work, CZZ/FER catalysts with different acidity levels were characterized with the FTIR technique before and after reactions, aiming to give new insights about catalyst deactivation. Results show that activity loss can be related to both (i) copper particle sintering, which decreases CO2 activation towards methanol, and (ii) acidity loss due to H+/Cu2+ ion exchange.

Confinement-driven self-assembly of dyes in nanomatrices is an effective route for the production of hybrid supramolecular structures of high technological relevance, among which the archetypal zeolite L based systems are exploited in Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensitized solar cells, luminescent solar concentrators, and color-changing media but also in sensing in analytical chemistry, biology, and diagnostics. Despite this progress in applications, the organization of confined chromophores in zeolite L materials remains elusive. Herein, by integrating experiments with different time scale and radiation source (IR, XRPD, total scattering) with first-principles DFT modeling, we attained a microscopically detailed picture of a technologically important hybrid composite of zeolite L with a perylene–diimide (also known as perylene–bisimide) dye at both hydrated and anhydrous conditions. The asymmetric positioning of the dye in the zeolite channel is determined by two factors: shape-volume constr...

In a distinct, bottom‐up synthetic methodology, monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and disaccharides (sucrose) have been used as mesoporogens to template hierarchical SAPO‐34 catalysts. Detailed materials characterization, which includes solid‐state magic angle spinning NMR and probe‐based FTIR, reveals that, although the mesopore dimensions are modified by the identity of the sugar template, the desirable acid characteristics of the microporous framework are retained. When the activity of the hierarchical SAPO‐34 catalysts was evaluated in the industrially relevant Beckmann rearrangement, under liquid‐phase conditions, the enhanced mass‐transport properties of sucrose‐templated hierarchical SAPO‐34 were found to deliver a superior yield of ϵ‐caprolactam.

Ordered mesoporous silica nanoparticles with pore diameter of 5 nm were synthesized by modification of the sol-gel synthesis method. Post-synthesis two-step grafting of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) inside the mesopores of the nanoparticles was carried out by distillation–precipitation polymerization of the methacryloxy-functionalized mesoporous nanoparticles with N-isopropylacrylamide monomer. A precise control on the quantity of the grafted polymer was achieved by changing the ratio of monomer to methacryloxy-functionalized nanoparticles. The polymer-grafted hybrid nanoparticles obtained were fully characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, thermal, and gas-volumetric analyses, which clearly showed presence and thermoresponsive behavior of the polymer inside the mesopores with the preservation of the characteristic mesoporous structure of the nanoparticles. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Using a distinctive bottom-up approach, a hierarchical silicoaluminophosphate, SAPO-34, has been synthesized using cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) encapsulated within ordered mesoporous silica (MCM-41) that serves as both the silicon source and mesoporogen. The structural and textural properties of the hierarchical SAPO-34 were contrasted against its microporous analogue, and the nature, strength, and accessibility of the Brønsted acid sites were studied using a range of physicochemical characterization tools; notably probe-based FTIR and solid-state magic angle spinning (SS MAS) NMR spectroscopies. Whilst CO was used to study the acid properties of hierarchical SAPO-34, bulkier molecular probes (including pyridine, 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine and 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine) allowed particular insight into the enhanced accessibility of the acid sites. The activity of the hierarchical SAPO-34 catalyst was evaluated in the industrially-relevant, acid-catalyzed Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime to ϵ-caprolactam, under vapor-phase conditions. These catalytic investigations revealed a significant enhancement in the yield of ϵ-caprolactam using our hierarchical SAPO-34 catalyst compared to SAPO-34, MCM-41, or a mechanical mixture of these two phases. The results highlight the merits of our design strategy for facilitating enhanced mass transfer, whilst retaining favorable acid site characteristics.

Mesoporous nanoparticles bearing different surface functionalizations were proposed as host carrier for the loading and stabilization of 5-aminolevulinic acid: unmodified mesoporous silica nanoparticles exposing native silanols and aminopropyltriethoxysilane-grafted mesoporous silica nanoparticles exposing amino groups. The stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid at different steps of drug loading was monitored via electronic and vibrational spectroscopies. Unmodified mesoporous nanoparticles were found to be a host system ensuring the stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid and its availability as protoporphyrin IX precursor, whilst silica surface exposing amino groups was found to strongly favour the dimerization of 5-aminolevulinic acid, leading to the formation of the derived compound pyrazine-2,5-dipropionic acid which is considered to be the major ALA degradation product in aerated solutions, which is no longer active as precursor of protoporphyrin IX. This phenomenon is interpreted in terms of the basic character of amino-modified silica.

Recently, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have emerged as promising drug delivery systems able to preserve the integrity of the carried substance and/or to selectively reach a target site; however, they have rarely been explored for skin application. In this study, thermoresponsive MSNs, designed to work at physiologic cutaneous temperature, are proposed as innovative topical carriers for quercetin (Q), a well-known antioxidant. The thermosensitive nanoparticles were prepared by functionalizing two different types of matrices, with pore size of 3.5nm (MSNsmall) and 5.0nm (MSNbig), carrying out a free radical copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and 3-(methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPS) inside the mesopores. The obtained copolymer-grafted MSNs (copoly-MSNs) were physico-chemically characterized and their biocompatibility was attested on a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). The release profiles were assessed and the functional activity of Q, free or loaded, was evaluated in terms of antiradical and metal chelating activities. Ex vivo accumulation and permeation through porcine skin were also investigated. The characterization confirmed the copolymer functionalization of the MSNs. In addition, both the bare and functionalized silica matrices were found to be biocompatible. Among the copolymer-grafted complexes, Q/copoly-MSNbig exhibited more evident thermoresponsive behavior proving the potential of these thermosensitive systems for advanced dermal delivery.

In this paper, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were studied as vehicles for the delivery of the antitumoral drug gemcitabine (GEM) and of its 4-(N)-acyl derivatives, (4-(N)-valeroyl-(C5GEM), 4-(N)-lauroyl-(C12GEM) and 4-(N)-stearoyl-gemcitabine (C18GEM)). The loading of the GEM lipophilic prodrugs on MSNs was explored with the aim to obtain both a physical and a chemical protection of GEM from rapid plasmatic metabolization. For this purpose, MSNs as such or with grafted aminopropyl and carboxyethyl groups were prepared and characterized. Then, their different drug loading capacity in relation to the nature of the functional group was evaluated. In our experimental conditions, GEM was not loaded in any MSNs, while C12GEM was the most efficiently encapsulated and employed for further evaluation. The results showed that loading capacity increased with the presence of functional groups on the nanoparticles; similarly, the presence of functional groups on MSNs’ surface influenced the drug release profile. Finally, the cytotoxicity of the different preparations was evaluated and data showed that C12GEM loaded MSNs are less cytotoxic than the free drug with an activity that increased with the incubating time, indicating that all these systems are able to release the drug in a controlled manner. Altogether, the results demonstrate that these MSNs could be an interesting system for the delivery of anticancer drugs.

MCM-41-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) grafted with a thermoresponsive copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide were synthesized, fully characterized and tested to assess their efficiency as drug delivery systems. The hybrid nanoparticles were prepared by carrying out the optimized copolymer synthesis within the mesopores of MSNs after infiltration of monomers and initiator. Polymerization and grafting of the thermoresponsive copolymer occurred simultaneously by exploiting the reactive sites of the 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane comonomer which carries a polymerizable group and alkoxysilane groups prone to condensation with surface silanols on silica. The grafted copolymer through its coil-to-globule transition acts as a gatekeeper for the temperature-controlled release of ibuprofen molecules loaded inside the pores. Significant difference in the quantitative release of ibuprofen was observed at 25 and 40 °C, which are below and above the lower critical solution temperature of the thermoresponsive copolymer. Importantly, the ordered mesoporous structure of the MSNs remained intact in all synthetic steps, loading of drug and during the in vitro release tests.

In this work, syntheses of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) with different molecular weights were carried out in ethanol by distillation precipitation polymerization (DPP) technique. The synthesized polymers were fully characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and size exclusion chromatography techniques. The lower critical solution temperatures of the polymers were determined with differential scanning calorimetry. A simple and versatile method for the in situ synthesis and grafting of PNIPAM on mesoporus silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with improved control over quantitative grafting is devised. The PNIPAM grafted MSNs were characterized with ATR-FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering analyses. From the results obtained it is showed that quantitative grafting of PNIPAM on MSNs from 1 to 20% by weight can be tuned by manipulating the in situ DPP reaction conditions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44181.

A combined experimental–theoretical study of quercetin adsorbed on a silica surface has been carried out in order to investigate the specific nature of their interaction. By means of an accurate hybrid functional PBE-D* approach, inclusive of dispersion interactions through the empirical D* Grimme’s term, the energetics of various configurations has been evaluated. IR spectra of the most probable ones, determined on the basis of thermodynamics considerations, have been simulated and compared to ad hoc measured spectra. A detailed classification of the peaks is proposed which sheds light onto some cloudy parts of the experimental IR spectra assignments. The most notable feature of our results is the extended and enhanced hydrogen-bonds network which is formed throughout the surface-molecule aggregate, thanks to the molecule acting as a bridge among the hydrogen bonds already present on the pristine silica surface.