Electroactive controlled release thin films

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Feb 19;105(7):2280-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0706994105. Epub 2008 Feb 12.

Abstract

We present the fabrication of nanoscale electroactive thin films that can be engineered to undergo remotely controlled dissolution in the presence of a small applied voltage (+1.25 V) to release precise quantities of chemical agents. These films, which are assembled by using a nontoxic, FDA-approved, electroactive material known as Prussian Blue, are stable enough to release a fraction of their contents after the application of a voltage and then to restabilize upon its removal. As a result, it is possible to externally trigger agent release, exert control over the relative quantity of agents released from a film, and release multiple doses from one or more films in a single solution. These electroactive systems may be rapidly and conformally coated onto a wide range of substrates without regard to size, shape, or chemical composition, and as such they may find use in a host of new applications in drug delivery as well as the related fields of tissue engineering, medical diagnostics, and chemical detection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Dextran Sulfate / chemistry
  • Electrochemistry
  • Electrons*
  • Ferrocyanides
  • Nanocomposites / chemistry

Substances

  • Ferrocyanides
  • Dextran Sulfate
  • ferric ferrocyanide