Photoresponsive Nanocontainers with Ordered Porous Channels

Controlled mass transport in response to stimuli is essential for drug carriers. The complexity of the signaling system under physiological conditions has led researchers to develop precise nanocontainers that respond to stimuli in the physiological environment. Owing to several reasons, soft nanocontainers such as liposomes and micelles have been investigated for use as drug delivery systems. However, such carriers often suffer from the undesired leakage of drug molecules. In contrast, inorganic nanocontainers are robust, and their surfaces can be easily functionalized. For example, mesoporous silica nanoparticles equipped with gatekeeper molecules are increasingly being used for the controlled release of drug molecules in response to the desired stimuli. Since the development of the first hybrid nanocontainer comprising molecular machines, multiple versions of such gatekeeper systems featuring significantly improved stability and precise response to stimuli have been reported. In this study, various methods for incorporating photoresponsive nanocontainers with porous channels are developed.