Stimuli-responsive controlled drug release from a hollow mesoporous silica sphere/polyelectrolyte multilayer core-shell structure

(Figure Presented) Keeping drugs under control: Hydrothermally stable, hollow mesoporous silica spheres have a high drug storage capacity, and polyelectrolyte multilayers coated on the spheres act as a switch for drug release which is controlled by the pH or ionic strength of the release medium. The picture shows the release of ibuprofen (IBU) from spheres with and without coatings of sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH).