Polyelectrolyte microcapsules templated on poly(styrene sulfonate)-doped CaCO3 particles for loading and sustained release of daunorubicin and doxorubicin

A strategy to incorporate and release anti-cancer drugs of daunorubicin (DNR) and doxorubicin (DOX) in preformed microcapsules is introduced, which is based on charge interaction mechanism. Oppositely charged poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) were assembled onto PSS doped-CaCO3 colloidal particles in a layer-by-layer manner to yield core-shell particles. After removal of the carbonate cores, hollow microcapsules with entrapped PSS were fabricated, which showed spontaneous loading ability of positively charged DNR and DOX. The drug loading was confirmed quantitatively by observations under confocal laser scanning microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning force microscopy. Quantification of the drug loading was performed under different conditions, revealing that a larger amount of drugs could be incorporated at higher drug feeding concentrations and higher salt concentrations. However, putting additional polyelectrolyte layers on the microcapsules after core removal resulted in weaker drug loading efficiency. The drug release behaviors from the microcapsules with different layer numbers were studied too, revealing a diffusion controlled release mechanism at the initial stage (4 h).