Our study was focused on the synthesis of selective mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs: MCM-41, MCM-48, SBA-15, PHTS, MCF) that are widely studied for drug delivery. The resulting mesoporous surfaces were conveniently prepared making use of verified synthetic procedures. The MSNs thus obtained were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The selected MSNs with various pore diameters and morphologies were examined to evaluate the capability of L-DOPA drug loading and release. L-DOPA is a well-known drug for Parkinson's disease. The L-DOPA drug loading and release profiles were measured by UV-VIS spectroscopy and SBA-15 was proved to be the most effective amongst all the different types of tested mesoporous silica materials as L-DOPA drug vehicle.
Keywords: characterisation; drug loading and release; electron microscopy; mesoporous silica; nanoparticles; nitrogen adsorption.