Prof. Thomas Bein, Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU)

Nano-sized mesoporous silica particles with high colloidal stability attract great attention as drug delivery and cancer cell targeting systems. In order to deliver these nanocarriers via intravenous injection and reach the target tissues or organs, further efforts are necessary to ensure long circulation times, prevent thrombogenic effects, and improve specific targeting and localized drug release. The highly porous features of colloidal mesoporous silica (CMS) nanoparticles offer numerous possibilities for controlling molecular interactions with pharmaceutical and biological agents.

The sol-gel synthesis of CMS nanoparticles is a highly versatile technique where a silica source is added to an aqueous solution of a surfactant and a complexing agent. This way it is possible to grow CMS particles with diameters in the range of 50 – 100 nm. By a variation of the type of surfactant and synthesis parameters (e.g., addition of swelling agents) it is possible to tailor the mesopore size in the range between 3.5 and 5 nm. Selective functionalization of different regions of the particle volume (with diverse organic moieties) allows us to specifically enrich the outer surface of the nanoparticles with targeting ligands, pore gating entities, fluorescent dyes, and biocompatible polymers.

The work of the candidate would focus at the synthesis and characterization of CMS nanoparticles with specific properties (e.g., mesopore diameters, functionalization) for use in bio-medical applications. The characterization of the particles includes techniques such as vibrational spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray spectroscopy (SAXS), and nitrogen sorption. Selected samples will be imaged by electron microscopy methods (SEM, TEM). The biologic activity of these samples will be investigated in cooperation with our collaboration partners in chemistry, physics and pharmacy.

Further information:
Prof. Bein's Website