Treating SBA15DPT with 12M HCl produces –PO3H2 groups but damages the mesostructure.
HCl-SBA15DPT presents uncontrolled drug burst release compared with SBA15DPT.
XRD and N2 adsorption are not enough to detect mesostructural damages in HCl-SBA15DPT.
HRTEM is essential to understand drug release from mesoporous materials.