Continuous flow vortex fluidic synthesis of silica xerogel as a delivery vehicle for curcumin

Abstract

Sol–gel synthesis of silica xerogel at room temperature is effective using a vortex fluidic device operating under scalable continuous flow conditions, using only tetramethyl orthosilicate as the silica precursor and deionized water. The gelation time of the hydrogel can be as short as 3.5 hours depending on the concentration of the silica. This process is also effective in incorporating preformed sub-micron particles of curcumin, as an effective vehicle for bioavailability of this compound, which was shown by antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.