One-pot template-free fabrication of hollow mesoporous sodalite nanospheres for drug release

Hollow mesoporous sodalite nanospheres (HMSN) were facilely fabricated by a one-pot template-free hydrothermal route using natural halloysite as a silicon-aluminum source. The obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, transmission electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope and N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherm. Well-defined HMSN with a mesopore structure were successfully obtained when the hydrothermal temperature was 180 degrees C, the reaction time was 9 h and the NaOH concentration was 3 mol/L. The products began to gradually transform from HMSN to micro-nepheline hydrate when the time was extended to 12 h. The drug release results indicate that the modified HMSN have outstanding drug release performance. The capacity for aspirin loading can reach as high as 20.8% and its cumulative release can reach 65% when release time is similar to 50 h. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.