Surface modified halloysite nanotubes with different lumen diameters as drug carriers for cancer therapy.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is successfully loaded by surface modification of distearoyl phosphoethanolamine (DSPE) on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with different inner lumen diameters. Drug loading of DSPE-HNTs-PTX attains 18.44% of DSPE content with a nearly complete release (near 100%) achieved. The anticancer efficacy (cell viability less than 52%) of DSPE-HNTs15-PTX increased and is attributed to the lower interfacial energy both inside and outside the tubes that improves tube loading.