A series of titanium oxides was prepared by using surfactant-template method (STM). They were used as carriers to provide the sustained release of the painkiller ibuprofen under simulated biological conditions. Michela Signoretti and colleagues, University Ca’Foscari and the University of Turin, Italy, have developed a procedure which allows the structure and morphology of a TiO₂ matrix to be varied so that the release rate and amount of drug to be delivered can be controlled. It is a good alternative to the current methods employed to prepare TiO₂-based drug-delivery systems.

The drug delivery was evaluated in vitro in four different physiological solutions that simulated the gastrointestinal tract. It is the first example of such a study. The stability of the TiO₂ matrix under acidic conditions and the drug release rates at intestinal pH show that the TiO₂-based system is a feasible carrier for an oral drug-delivery system.

• Structure-Directing Agent for the Synthesis of TiO₂-Based Drug-Delivery Systems,
  Elena Ghedini, Valentina Nichele, Michela Signoretto, Giuseppina Cerrato,
  Chem. Eur. J. 2012.
  DOI: 10.1002/chem.201201355