Ambient pressure dried graphene oxide-silica composite aerogels as pharmaceutical nanocarriers

Research on the production of graphene, its derivatives and composites has been enhanced in the past two decades. Graphene is well known for its exceptional physicochemical properties including extensive surface area, good biocompatibility, high loading capacity, and functionalization capability which make it an ideal candidate for drug delivery systems. When compared to the other nanomaterials, aerogels are relatively new materials characterized by their unparalleled porosities and extensive surface areas. The ability to carry drugs is crucial in drug delivery systems, and the large surface area of graphene coupled with the high porosity of aerogels presents a significant potential for use in this domain. In this study, graphene oxide-silica composite aerogel nanostructures were synthesized firstly, using the sol-gel method and ambient pressure drying technique which offer advantages in terms of both time and cost efficiency. Then, the formulation was also fabricated in the functionalized forms with sodium dodecyl sulfate, polyvinylpyrrolidone and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Different physicochemical characteristics of these new materials were investigated using SEM/EDS, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, TGA and DLS techniques. Drug loading tests were done using curcumin and methylene blue, while the biocompatibility of the nanocarriers was assessed through cell viability assay. Results of different tests confirmed the successful fabrication of the aerogels with different functionalizations, which had encapsulation capacity ranged between 20–90% and high biocompatibility after exposing with cells. Based on these promising results, this study confirms that aerogel-based platforms produced have potential to be used as nanocarriers for drug delivery systems.

Graphical Abstract