Modulated Zirconia nanotube for controlled drug release

The integration of drug delivery coating in orthopedic applications is attracting interest due to its potential to improve the success rate of implant systems. Several published reports have focused on the aspect of controlled drug release to aid in the optimization of drug delivery. Herein, we report on a novel and simple approach to extending drug release time and limiting the undesirable burst release from Zirconia nanotube (ZrNT) via structural modification. The structural modification involves fabricating a double-layered structure with a modulated diameter and is achieved via voltage adjustment during electrochemical anodization. The drug loading and release studies from the structurally modified ZrNTs, characterized via SEM and Tof-SIMS were monitored using UV-Visible spectrometry and compared with their homogenously thick equivalents. We report a significant reduction in the initial burst release phenomenon and an improvement in overall release time. The simple structural modification of ZrNT successfully enhances drug release performance, allows for flexibility in designing drug delivery coatings for specific implant challenges, and offers new insights into alternate biomaterials based on metal-oxide nanostructures.