Calcium Carbonate Nanoplate Assemblies with Directed High-Energy Facets: Additive-Free Synthesis, High Drug Loading, and Sustainable Releasing.

Developing drug delivery systems (DDSs) with high drug-loading capacity and sustainable releasing is critical for long-term chemotherapeutic efficacy, and it still remains challenging. Herein, vaterite CaCO3 nanoplate assemblies with exposed high-energy {001} facets have been synthesized via a novel, additive-free strategy. The product shows a high doxorubicin-loading capacity (65%); the best of all the CaCO3-based DDSs so far. Also, the product's sustainable releasing performance and its inhibition of the initial burst release, together, endow it with long-term drug efficacy. The work may shed light on exposing directed high-energy facets for rationally designing of a drug delivery system with long-term efficacy.