Enhancing Stability and Entrapment Efficiency of Liposome‐Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanocarriers Using Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether as a Polyethylene Glycol Anchoring Agent

The development of a phospholipid bilayer coating on the nanoparticle surface, particularly mesoporous nanosilica (MSN), has recently emerged as a promising strategy in drug delivery systems. However, the strong interactions of the phospholipid bilayer promote the adsorption of plasma proteins onto nanocarriers, leading to physicochemical instability and undesired aggregation. This study explores the use of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether (Brij), a PEG-based surfactant, to enhance the stability of phospholipid bilayer-coated MSN in serum environments. Initially, Brij-coated liposome (LB), a type of phospholipid-based nanoparticles, is synthesized via the thin film hydration method. The LB is subsequently immobilized onto the MSN surface to form Brij-coated MSN-liposome nanoparticles (MLB). The physicochemical properties and morphology of MLB are characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The Brij-coated MLB exhibited significantly improved stability in serum environments compared to MSN coated with an unmodified phospholipid bilayer. Furthermore, the influence of Brij on the loading capacity and release behavior of a poorly water-soluble drug was assessed using quercetin as a model drug. Biocompatibility assessments demonstrated that MLB exhibited low cytotoxicity when tested on HeLa cells, indicating its potential for biomedical applications.