A free-blockage controlled release system based on the hydrophobic/hydrophilic conversion of mesoporous silica nanopores.

A pH-responsive free-blockage release system was achieved through controlling the hydrophobic/hydrophilic conversion of mesoporous silica nanopores. This system further presented pulsatile release with changing pH values between 4.0 and 7.0 for several cycles. This free-blockage release system could also release antitumor agents to induce cell death after infecting tumor cells and could have the ability of continuous infection to tumor cells with high drug-delivery efficiency and few side effects.