Novel heparin-loaded mesoporous tubular micromotors formed via template-assisted electrochemical deposition

Based on the concept of the active drug delivery of micro- and nanomotors and the longer cycle time in the blood for drug-loaded tubular particles, it is important to develop novel tubular micromotors that could increase drug loading and achieve more effective treatments in the biomedical field. Here, a novel kind of mesoporous tubular micromotor used to load heparin (Hep) and formed via template-assisted electrochemical deposition is presented. Firstly, the mesoporous tubular micromotors were composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), mesoporous silica (MS) and manganese dioxide (MnO₂), and were simply fabricated via template-assisted electrochemical growth. Then, the drug Hep was loaded into PEDOT/MS/MnO₂via a simple soaking process. Finally, the release process, cytotoxicity, and blood compatibility tests and motion study for these mesoporous tubular micromotors of PEDOT/MS/MnO₂-Hep were performed. Results indicated that the micromotors we prepared showed good controlled release of Hep, anticoagulant effects, non-cytotoxicity and autonomous motion ability. The new drug carrier and motion mode will give rise to more potential applications of Hep in the biomedical field.