Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-graft-folic acid), synthesis, solubility enhancement, and release dynamic of folic acid

Abstract

A series of poly (2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-graft-folic acid) (FAHEMA) systems are synthesized by grafting of folic acid (FA) into poly (2–hydroxyethylmethacrylate) via an esterification reaction. The structure of these copolymers is confirmed by NMR and CHN analyses. The thermal behavior of these materials is characterized by DSC and TGA analyses. The surface morphology of FAHEMA films before and after the release process is examined by the SEM method. The cumulative FA released in different pH media from FAHEMA materials occurred via a retro-esterification reaction at body temperature during 72 h in which the influence of the swelling degree of PHEMA, the FA content and pH media on the dynamic release is widely investigated. The results obtained revealed that the solubility of FA in water deduced from the release process is widely improved compared with literature reports. It is also revealed that the diffusion of water in different pH media through the PHEMA matrix and that of FA through FAHEMA materials perfectly obeyed the Fickian models. It was deduced from the kinetic study that the release performance is obtained with the copolymers containing initially 10 and 20 wt% of FA contents.