Hollow mesoporous silicas as a drug solution delivery system for insoluble drugs

Hollow mesoporous silica spheres (HMSS) as a novel drug solution delivery system were developed for oral administration, intending to improve the drug loading capacity and dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs. HMSS with an average diameter of 900 nm and shell thickness of 100 nm were synthesized in a facile route using a soft template. The morphological, structural, and textural properties of HMSS were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. Carbamazepine, a model drug, was dissolved in PEG 400 and subsequently loaded on HMSS to investigate the release behaviors in vitro. The significant improvement of drug loading and dissolution rate demonstrated that HMSS could provide good reservoirs for drug solutions to enhance the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs, and have high potential in future applications for oral delivery of therapeutic drugs.