Self-trigger and on-demand drug delivery system based on TiO2 nanotube arrays and its drug release behaviour

The foundation of drug delivery systems based on titanium dioxide nanotube arrays has become an important means to increase the drug release performance of bone implantation materials. However, most of the conventional platforms have some disadvantages, such as large sudden release, uncontrollable, unintelligent, or not on-demand drug release process. Herein, the authors develop a unique self-triggering drug release system (SDDS), utilizing the advantages of 1-Tetradecanol (TD), such as decent biocompatibility, a phase transition temperature of 37.8°C, and the inexistence of complex chemical reaction process. The establishment of the platform can make a large amount of the anti-inflammatory drug (ibuprofen, IBU) released when the body or the affected area is inflamed, that is, when the temperature rises. Conversely, only a small amount or no drug is released when there is no inflammation, thereby achieving self-trigger release and on-demand release. The experimental results show that the system combines good self-trigger release properties, release sensitivity, drug release cycle, and low selectivity to the loaded drugs.