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Synthesis and characterization of thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-hydroxyethylacrylamide) microgels as potential carriers for drug delivery

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Abstract

Thermoresponsive colloidal microgels were prepared by precipitation copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N-hydroxyethylacrylamide (HEAM) with various concentrations of a cross-linker in the presence of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS). The volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the prepared microgels was studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the polydispersity and morphology of the microgels. Results indicated that poly(NIPAM-co-HEAM) microgels are spherical and monodisperse. VPTTs of microgels determined by DLS and UV–vis methods are almost the same and very close to the human body temperature, presenting the microgels as candidates for biomedical application. The temperature at which the phase transition occurred is nearly independent of the cross-linking density, whereas the transition range is deeply influenced by temperature. Also, the SDS concentration was increased to decrease the average hydrodynamic size of the microgels, due to the electrostatic repulsion between the charged particles during the polymerization process. 1H-NMR spectra of the microgels show a decrease in peak intensity with an increased temperature due to a reduction in molecular mobility of the polymer segments. Release rates of propranolol from microgels are deeply influenced by temperature; below the VPTT at 25 °C, the drug is rapidly released at a rate comparable to that of a free drug, whereas above the VPTT (37 and 42 °C), a fraction of the drug is mechanically expulsed in the first five min, followed by a prolonged release.

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Acknowledgments

The research has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement no. 264115 – STREAM.

This work was also supported by a grant from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS—UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-ID-PCCE-2011-2-0028.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Polymers, Bioactive and Biocompatible Materials, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Gr. Ghica Voda Alley, 41A, 700487, Iasi, Romania

    Sanda Bucatariu, Gheorghe Fundueanu, Irina Prisacaru, Mihaela Balan, Iuliana Stoica, Valeria Harabagiu & Marieta Constantin

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  1. Sanda Bucatariu
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  2. Gheorghe Fundueanu
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  3. Irina Prisacaru
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  6. Valeria Harabagiu
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  7. Marieta Constantin
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Correspondence to Marieta Constantin.

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Paper dedicated to the 65th anniversary of “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, Iasi, Romania.

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Fig. S1

1H-NMR spectrum of poly(NIPAM-co-HEAM) microgels (sample M1.9S1.5 in Table 1) (TIFF 391 kb)

High Resolution Image (GIF 137 kb)

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Bucatariu, S., Fundueanu, G., Prisacaru, I. et al. Synthesis and characterization of thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-hydroxyethylacrylamide) microgels as potential carriers for drug delivery. J Polym Res 21, 580 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-014-0580-7

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