Application of Poly(ethylene glycol)-<I>b</I>-poly(ε-Caprolactone) Copolymers with Different Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Contents for the Preparation of PEG-Coated Nanoparticles

Abstract

This work used one poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) copolymer with low PEG content as matrix material and the copolymers with high PEG content as emulsifier to prepare PEG-coated nanoparticles for controlled release of paclitaxel by solvent evaporation technique. The copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization and characterized by 1H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The effects of the composition and concentration of the copolymers used as emulsifier on the diameters and encapsulation efficiency of nanoparticles were investigated. The mean hydrodynamic diameters of the nanoparticles measured by dynamic light scattering ranged from 70 to 160 nm. The higher PEG content of emulsifier led to bigger diameter of nanoparticles and the emulsifier concentration (0.1%-1.0%) had no obvious influence on the diameters. The paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles could achieve a sustained drug release for 7 days. When 2%-30% (w/v) of inulin was used as cryoprotectant during freeze drying process, the lyophilized nanoparticles could be well reconstituted into aqueous solution and the hydrodynamic diameter was not obviously changed.