A single wall carbon nanohorn (SWNH) is a new kind of single-graphene tubules with a diameter of 2-5 nm and a length 40-50 nm. In this work, we used oxidized SWNH (SWNHox) to incorporate vancomycin hydrochloride (VCM) for its controlled release by taking advantage of the interactions between VCM and SWNHox. Phospholipid-poly(ethylene glycol) was used to modify the hydrophobic surface of SWNHox to improve its dispersion in aqueous systems. In the release study using this complex, a stable release of VCM was achieved for an extended period. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.