Thermally and magnetically dual‐responsive mesoporous silica nanospheres: preparation, characterization, and properties for the controlled release of sophoridine

ABSTRACT Novel thermally and magnetically dual‐responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles [magnetic mesoporous silica nanospheres (M‐MSNs)–poly( N ‐isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm)] were developed with magnetic iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles as the core, mesoporous silica nanoparticles as the sandwiched layer, and thermally responsive polymers (PNIPAAm) as the outer shell. M‐MSN–PNIPAAm was initially used to control the release of sophoridine. The characteristics of M‐MSN–PNIPAAm were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, and vibrating specimen magnetometry analyses. The results indicate that the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were incorporated into the M‐MSNs, and PNIPAAm was grafted onto the surface of the M‐MSNs via precipitation polymerization. The obtained M‐MSN–PNIPAAm possessed superparamagnetic characteristics with a high surface area (292.44 m 2 /g), large pore volume (0.246 mL/g), and large mesoporous pore size (2.18 nm). Sophoridine was used as a drug model to investigate the loading and release properties at different temperatures. The results demonstrate that the PNIPAAm layers on the surface of M‐MSN–PNIPAAm effectively regulated the uptake and release of sophoridine. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131 , 40477.