BTG: Silica nanoparticles as drug delivery Systems

Silica-based materials show number of attractive features for biomedical applications, such as large surface areas, good biocompatibility, and well-defined surface properties available for further functionalization. The aim of this project will be to explore how silica nanoparticle chemistry (both surface and bulk), size, topography, geometry and porosity affect the release of a series of model drug molecules in a range of environmental conditions that reflect physiological environments. We expect that the silica nanoparticles which will be developed in this proposal will establish a new drug delivery platform suitable for a variety of biomedical applications.