Preparation of carbon nanotubes and polyhedral oligomeric-reinforced molecularly imprinted polymer composites for drug delivery of gallic acid

Abstract

In this paper, an enhanced imprinting effect of utilizing single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) was suggested to improve drug delivery. The combination of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoliumtetrafluoroborate ([BMIM]BF4), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and choline chloride-ethylene glycol (ChCl / EG) was used as a ternary porogen to prepare molecularly imprinted polymer (MIPs) doped with SWCNT and POSS. In the presence of gallic acid (GAL), 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) were used as functional monomer and crosslinker, respectively. The structure and morphological parameters of the MIP composite, such as surface area and pore size distribution, were also measured. In the studies of in vitro releases, superior controlled release characteristics can be achieved due to the enhanced imprinting effect of the MIPs doped with POSS and SWCNT. In vivo release studies showed that the POSS-SWCNT MIP had the maximum plasma concentration after 4 h. Compared with the control MIPs and NIP, the POSS-SWCNT MIP displayed a maximum AUC0-9 of 544.73 (ng h mL−1), while only 327.48, 212.91, 230.35 and 275.13 (ng h mL−1) for the POSS MIP, SWCNT MIP, MIP and POSS-SWCNT NIP, respectively.