New TiO2/MgAl-LDH nanocomposites for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes

In this study we report the synthesis of a series of composite nanostructures comprising LDH and TiO2 phases. The materials characterization showed that the LDH crystallites are encapsulated inside the TiO2 matrix after the anatase seeds are deposited on MgxAl-LDHs. The structure in which LDH phase is embedded into anatase matrix is unique bringing important advantages to the photocatalytic performances of the nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanocomposites was tested on the degradation of the methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The photocatalytic activities of the nanocomposites were compared with commercial TiO2 nanoparticles Degussa P25. The nanocomposites exhibited superior photocatalytic activity in basic environment because the negatively charged surface of TiO2 nanoparticles at high pH attracts the positively charged methylene blue species.

Controlled drug delivery system based on ordered mesoporous silica matrices of captopril as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor drug

In the present study, captopril-loaded ordered mesoporous SBA-15 silica matrix were produced, functionalized, and characterized to obtain an efficient formulation of controlled drug delivery system. First, the starting SBA-15 materials are examined to verify that their synthesis has been successful considering the structural properties, using XRD, FTIR, and BET methods. Second, the influence of processing parameters of ordered mesoporous matrices for the loading and release of captopril was investigated. The release of captopril was controlled by tailoring the surface properties of the mesoporous silica via functionalization. The loading and release kinetics (in vitro in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids) showed that both of them were affected by the surface properties of the mesoporous silica materials. Such a formulation shows potential as an efficient controlled drug delivery system.