Remote controlled drug release from multi-functional Fe3O4/GO/Chitosan microspheres fabricated by an electrospray method

The construction of multifunctional microspheres for remote controlled drug release requires the exquisite selection of composite materials and preparation approaches. In this study, chitosan, an amino polysaccharide, was blended with inorganic nanocomponents, Fe3O4 and graphene oxide (GO) and electrosprayed to fabricate uniform microspheres with the diameters ranging from 100 mu m to 1100 mu m. An anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX), was loaded to the microspheres by an adsorption or embedding method. The microsphere is responsive to magnetic fields due to the presence of Fe3O4, and the incorporation of GO enhanced the drug loading capacity. The fast stimuli-responsive release of DOX can be facilely controlled by using NIR irradiation due to the strong photo-thermal conversion of Fe3O4 and GO, In addition, ultrasound was used as another external stimulus for DOX release. The results suggest the Fe3O4/GO/Chitosan microspheres fabricated by the electrospray method provide an efficient platform for remote controlled drug release, which may have potential applications in drug eluting microspheres. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.