Abstract

Nanostructuring materials can radically change their properties. Bulk or micromachined silicon structures are not biodegradable but mesoporous silicon dissolves under physiological conditions. I will describe how two electrochemical etching techniques can be utilized to create kilogramme quantities of mesoporous silicon microparticles. Low porosity radioactive forms of these are currently under clinical assessment for the targeted treatment of primary liver cancer and pancreatic cancer. High porosity forms are undergoing pre-clinical R&D for controlled drug delivery. A large fraction of active pharmaceutical ingredients now being discovered , have issues with aqueous solubility, and hence their use in therapy. Confinement of such poorly soluble drugs in narrow enough pores can significantly improve their bioavailability, through a combined effect of nanostructuring and solid state modification.