Facile synthesis of Silicalite-1 with tunable porous architectures via desilication-recrystallization: Enhanced Doxorubicin delivery and inhibited growth against colorectal cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer has emerged as a leading cause of global cancer-related morbidity and mortality, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. We developed a desilication-recrystallization method to synthesize Silicalite-1-X (X = 2, 8, 16, 32), a hierarchical porous silica molecular sieve with cost-effectiveness, facile synthesis, and tunable porosity. Its programmable mesoporous structure is achieved by precisely controlling the desilication-recrystallization kinetics. Tunable mesopores with precise diameters of 4–6 nm and 20–30 nm were fabricated by controlling cavity expansion through temporal modulation (2–32 h) of a time-dependent synthesis process. Detailed analysis of drug loading and release profiles revealed that although pore structure modification did not significantly alter drug loading efficiency (DLE), it induced a slight but consistent improvement in drug release rate as pore size increased. Systematic biocompatibility evaluation was conducted through an in vitro human colonic epithelial tissue model complemented by the KM mice in vivo studies. Histopathological analysis confirmed Silicalite-1-X caused minimal cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in healthy colon tissue, preserved mucus secretion, and showed no systemic toxicity. Furthermore, Doxorubicin (DOX) loaded Silicalite-1-X platform (Silicalite-1-DOX-X) exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic efficacy against colorectal carcinoma in vitro models, confirming its anti-tumor therapeutic potential. Our findings provide a framework for engineering molecular sieves with tunable porosity and a platform for expanding their multifunctional applications in advanced materials.