A drug delivery system based on switchable photo-controlled p-coumaric acid derivatives anchored on mesoporous silica

A stimuli-responsive drug delivery system consisting of mesoporous silica with its surface modified by p-coumaric acid derivatives (CA) as photo-switchable ligands was studied for the delivery of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen. For this purpose, MCM-41 mesoporous silica material was prepared and post-synthetically modified by the grafting of a triethoxysilyl derivative of p-coumaric acid, which undergoes a reversible photo-dimerization under UV irradiation and creates the “valves” on the surface of silica allowing targeted opening/closing of the pores. Naproxen was encapsulated into grafted MCM-41 and drug release studies were performed in two different media, in a simulated gastric fluid (pH = 2) and in a simulated body fluid (pH = 7.4). Differences in drug release were observed after irradiation of the material using UV light at λ = 365 nm (closed pore configuration) and UV light at λ = 254 nm (opened pore configuration).