Silicon materials have been used in medical applications for more than 70 years. Silicon-based materials are biocompatible, which contributes towards material properties. In this talk, the speaker will present his multidisciplinary research experiences with key results using porous silicon materials and silicon-based hybrid polymer to probing disease-associated biological processes, bio-imaging of biomarkers, and drug-delivery system.

(1) Porous silicon (pSi) is a form of the chemical element silicon that has introduced nanopores in its microstructures. pSi had shown great potential for biological applications such as sensors, contrast agents, drug-delivery systems, and theranostics. In addition, porous silicon nanoparticle (pSiNP) exhibits a number of properties that make it attractive: (i) Non-toxic and biodegradable. Under biological conditions, pSiNPs degrade into orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)₄), a water-soluble product that can be easily cleared by the renal system, (ii) High drug loading efficiency by porous silicon-silicate frame-sheath formation and substrate trapping mechanism with no damage to sensitive protein drugs; (iii) Controlled release (short-/long-term) or loaded substrate, (vi) Intrinsic near-infrared photoluminescence, (v) enhancer for photoacoustic contrast agents, and (v) Convenient surface modification to introduce organ targeting moieties.

(2) Silicon-based hybrid polymer has been developed and applied for the drug-delivery system via skin administration. The polymer could deliver loaded substrates to the dermis layer efficiently without side-effect.